Monsters (Ashes Trilogy 3)

But it was what Alex saw down the hill that set a hook of new fear in her chest.

They’d landed next to the house, on the hill, but far enough out that she had a view of the lake and, especially, that dead-end road. Wolf and the others had come in from the west and so had their pursuers. She’d spotted horses before, ones that must belong to the men they’d just crisped. Those animals were still there, churning in a restless knot, struggling to snap their tethers and escape the fire.

Yet what stilled her heart was what was even now emerging from the trees: more men on horses. There were two kids as well. One was younger than the other, but both wore the same camo-whites and were wreathed in that weird chemotherapy stink. Of the two, the smell coming from the younger kid—a boy—was stronger.

Last of all, another old man slipped out of the woods. In contrast to the others, he wore black instead of hunter’s winter camo, and rode a glossy jet-black gelding. As soon as he appeared, that red storm—push-push go-go—intensified.

She flattened, tried to think. They had to get moving. Make a run for the trees. If we can get far enough back before they see us . . .Where was Wolf ’s rifle? Her gaze strafed the snow, saw nothing, and she knew there was no time to search. Running probably wouldn’t help. All their pursuers had to do was follow their tracks, but she was damned if she’d wait to be taken.

She could see the men making their way down the road. A few had dismounted, including the younger kid. The older kid was moving very awkwardly, though, and as she watched one of the men reach to steady the kid’s horse, she saw why: the Changed’s hands were tied. Also, unlike the smaller boy, this Changed’s head was bare. His hair, golden as the sun, fell past his shoulders. Something familiar about him, too.

But what really rocked her back was the moment that golden Changed looked their way and let out a shout: “Penny! Simon! Don’t run, don’t run!”

Oh God. She felt the ice leak into her veins.

Peter.

“Stop it, stop it!” Ellie screamed a split second before her horse shrieked. The far shore was bright with late afternoon sun. So she had no trouble seeing the jet of blood jump from Bella’s flank. The mare reared, pedaling air with her front hooves. “Leave Bella alone!”

“Ellie, no!” Still clutching the auger with one hand, Eli yanked her back. Both dogs were barking, and as Roc gathered himself to bolt for shore, Eli let go of her to make a snatching grab for his dog’s collar. “They’re trying to get us to come to them . . . Roc, no, sit!”

“But they’re hurting Bella!” Her mare’s screams were drilling into her brain. The horses were easy pickings: tethered to the trees and unable to do much but kick whenever the people-eaters got too close. As bad as it was that the people-eaters had showed up altogether, Ellie thought they’d leave the animals alone. Waste of energy when you could be going after nice juicy little girls and boys. But then, after she and Eli retreated even farther from shore, the people-eaters started in on the horses, hitting them with clubs and now this. . . . She watched in horror as her mare suddenly crashed to the snow. One people-eater cocked his arm again. Whatever they were using—a machete, she thought—flashed down in a gleaming blur. This time, Bella’s screech turned suddenly watery. “We have to do something!”

“We can’t.” Eli swabbed sweat from his forehead. The boy’s face was the color of a boiled beet. “We have to keep going.”

“But they’re going to kill her.” Ellie couldn’t stop the tears streaming over her cheeks: grief for her stupid, stubborn Bella. And terror, for them.

“There’s nothing we can do. They’ll probably go for my horse next.” Eli’s voice choked with rage. “Come on, Ellie. This was your idea. Hurry!”

“Okay, okay.” Ellie brought her hand ax down in another fast, hard, two-fisted chop. The edge bit slush ice in a dull chuck. The snow beneath her feet turned gray as water welled up through the seam. “I’m almost done here. What about you?”

“Going fast as I can.” The auger was a red blur, the blades spinning, Eli cranking furiously. He was sweating so much, steam curled from his hair. “Soon as I finish this one . . .”

Then we break the ice and hope like heck Hannah gets here soon. She chopped again, heard the splintery crack of ice shearing apart. Across the snow, from the too-distant shore, she heard Bella give another bawling shriek that sent her heart cramming up behind her teeth. She tossed another grim look. Bella was kicking but more feebly. The people-eaters milled around, maybe trying to decide what to do now that she and Eli hadn’t come dashing to the rescue.

Hate you. She whacked the ice again. There were nine people-eaters—ten, if you counted the girl she’d seen at the death house. The people-eaters didn’t have guns, a plus. On the other hand, Eli only had two shots left in his rifle, and her Savage was in its saddle scabbard. At first she thought a people-eater might grab it, but the rifle wasn’t scoped. Or they might not know how to work it. Or maybe shooting at her and Eli didn’t seem to be nearly as much people-eater doo-dah fun as killing a poor defenseless horse. She was furious and scared right down to her bones and thought, really, if she didn’t end up getting eaten today, it would be a miracle.

Behind her, the whir of the auger changed to a gurgle of steel churning water. The steeply curved line of fresh holes were spaced so close they looked like a string of black pearls. She’d told Eli to bunch the holes on purpose so the water would bleed between the gaps. All it would take for her to break through completely was one or two good hard chops.

“Got it.” Eli straightened, breathing hard, then cast a nervous glance at the jigsaw of float ice and the larger, wider crescent of black water beyond the end of the ice shelf. “That’s five. Think that’s—” His voice faded as he looked back toward shore. “Ellie.”

She knew before she turned. Evidently tired of waiting, the people-eaters were spilling onto the ice. “Come on.” Dipping into her pail, she fished out a stringer, looped the steel chain around her waist, and snapped the keeper to a clip. “Okay, hang onto me. I’ll chop us away.”

“Is this going to hold if you fall in?”

“Sure,” she lied, giving Eli a strained, teary smile that she knew was all teeth. “I was going to try for walleye, and they’re real big. But maybe we don’t want to find out?”