“I won’t.” I shifted position in the chair, trying to get comfortable. “How likely is it this Empusae will sense our presence when we approach?”
“Highly likely, but given demons generally can’t move around in the daylight, we shouldn’t be in any danger until we step inside her lair.”
“Except,” Belle said, “Vita says this one probably can move about.”
“Even if she can, the cost of shielding herself from the sun would drain her of strength extremely fast.”
“Given how old this demon is and just how fast she can move, she might not need much time to wipe us all out,” I commented.
“We’ve got the power and the knowledge to counter her,” Monty said. “We’ll be fine.”
I hoped he wa
s right, but I couldn’t help thinking he was seriously underestimating this demon.
The rest of the men arrived just before twelve. We left in two trucks—Belle, Monty, and me with Aiden, and Ashworth and Eli following. Once seated, I reactivated my tracker sphere. Its faint pulse rippled across my fingers, and relief stirred. She still hadn’t sensed it.
“Head toward Maldoon,” I said after a moment.
“That’s a distance from where she’s been hunting,” Monty commented.
“She’s winged. Distance doesn’t really matter to her. And after what has happened to her two offspring, maybe she’s decided to try somewhere safer.”
“Somewhere safer would be off this reservation entirely.”
“She won’t leave until she gets her revenge or she’s dead.”
Aiden glanced at me. “Is that your psi senses speaking?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s hope this hunting expedition is a success.” His voice was grim.
The closer we got to Maldoon, the stronger the pulse in the tracker became. Eventually, we went off road, following a series of dusty tracks as we wound our way through the scrublands that surrounded the old town.
“Here,” I said eventually. “Turn right here.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Monty said. “It’s the ruins of another mine.”
One that had toilet facilities, BBQs, and a picnic area, from the look of things. Aiden stopped in the vacant parking area and we all climbed out. Dust swirled as Ashworth stopped beside us.
I scanned the area but couldn’t see the mine. Nor was there an immediately obvious place for the Empusae to hide. But she was out there somewhere, and it wasn’t just the strong pulse coming from the tracker that told me that.
It was the growing sense that the shit was about to hit the fan.
“Which way, lass?” Ashworth said as he jumped out of his SUV.
I pointed to the trees beyond the picnic area.
“Makes sense,” Aiden said. “That’s where the mine ruins are.”
“It’s the ‘where’ in those ruins we need to pin down.” Monty slung his pack over his shoulder. “And that means you’ve still got the lead, Liz.”
I walked through the picnic area and into the scrub beyond. It didn’t take long for remnants of old buildings to appear; at first, they were little more than piles of bricks and stone rubble, but gradually, as we neared the industrial heart of the mine, they became more defined.
The tracker tugged me left, past a couple of water tanks and toward what looked to be three old kilns. The ceilings of two of them had obviously collapsed, because slivers of sunshine were evident beyond their small semicircular entrances. But in the middle kiln there was only darkness.
Darkness and evil.