Dream Chaser (Bailey Spade 3)

The leg is severed, but it’s too late for Edith.

By the time the giant crashes to the ground, the vampire’s head and body separate and fly in different directions, spraying blood and bits of flesh everywhere.

Valerian yanks me behind him with a curse as I gape at Edith’s remnants, my stomach churning with equal parts horror, pity, and disgust. No matter how ancient, a vampire can’t survive a beheading.

Stanislav slashes at the next biggest giant with his saber, slicing off a chunk of his leg. Seemingly oblivious to the injury, the giant swings a massive arm at the chort, but his grasping hand goes through Stanislav’s suddenly incorporeal torso—which is when Ariel chops it off at the wrist with her sword.

Oblivious to the fountain of blood gushing from his injured limb, the giant pivots to snatch up Ariel with his remaining hand, but Kit finally catches up with everyone and smashes a car-sized fist into the attacker’s face.

The giant crashes to the floor.

With a roar, Colton beheads another one with his claymore. Fabian and Stanislav help Ariel down another, while Chester and Kit get yet one more.

At that point, the fight turns, and one by one, our allies kill or incapacitate the rest of the Overtaken giants.

When it’s all over, Nina makes her way to Edith’s remains, her expression somber. “To live so long just to perish here,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “What a shame.”

Equally grim, Colton scoops up nearby dirt, his enormous hand creating a hole worthy of a shovel. He keeps digging until the pit is six feet deep. At that point, Fabian picks up Edith’s head and removes the mask, while Kit, still in her giant form, lifts the torso. Gently, they lower the vampire’s remains into the grave.

Kit and Colton cover Edith with dirt as Fabian puts on his clothing. Then Fabian hands Edith’s mask to Colton, who wipes the blood and stashes the mask in his backpack.

“Anyone want to say anything?” Valerian asks, sweeping a grave gaze around our congregation.

“More giants might be on the way,” Itzel says. “We should go.”

I approach the grave on unsteady legs. I feel sick, both from the adrenaline overdose and the senseless slaughter I just witnessed. Bending down, I find a patch of ground that isn’t soaked with blood and toss some dirt into the grave. “Phobetor has a lot to answer for.”

Though my voice is barely above a whisper, Valerian’s jaw tenses. “Don’t say his name.” He walks over and hygieias my hand before I can do so myself. In a softer tone, he adds, “But you’re right. He does.”

“We should listen to the wise gnome and go before more trouble catches up to us,” Chester says.

Everyone mutters their agreement, and we plod to the gate, disinclined to talk for the next six worlds.

“I’m starving,” Fabian says when we enter a hub located in a lush forest meadow. “As the German proverb says, ‘Hunger leads the wolf to the village.’”

Kit morphs into an adorable girl wearing a red riding hood. “I’m also hungry… like a wolf.”

“Let’s make camp,” Valerian says. “I’ll make us invisible to any predators that might lurk in the forest.”

“I doubt they’d dare show up here.” Removing his boxers again, Fabian takes on his wolf form and stalks into the bushes.

“I’m also going to get something to eat,” Stanislav says, holding his saber. “Anyone care to join?”

Chester, Kit, and Nina tag along with the chort while the rest of us build a couple of fires.

Felix steps out of his robot suit and plops in front of the largest fire. “Am I the only one who finds the idea of a necromancer world creepy?”

I crouch to Felix’s right. “I do too.”

“It could be worse.” Ariel folds her legs into a lotus pose across from me. “It could be a world full of vampires.”

“That wouldn’t be sustainable,” Dylan says, joining us. “I’ve run the numbers. If a world has a greater than five percent vampire population—”

I don’t hear the rest because Valerian strides over and takes a seat next to me.

I scooch away from him.

Shaking his head, he walks over to Colton’s backpack, gets something out, and sits next to me again.

“Seriously?” I scoot away once more.

“Here.” He slides next to me yet again and hands me a packet of manna, along with a water bottle from Gomorrah.

I snatch the food and drink without a thank-you, which is harder than it sounds. Mom raised me to be polite.

Valerian starts to say something, but Stanislav and his group of hunters show up, carrying a bleeding furry creature.

Gross. They’re going to skin it and actually eat the meat. Did they forget all the gore we just saw on the giants’ world? Leaning toward Valerian, I whisper, “Can you use your powers to prevent me from seeing their meal?”

Smirking, he does as I ask. After that, I can’t bring myself to chase him off, so we sit side by side as I eat and drink through the special openings in the mask—a task that requires a surprising amount of concentration.