The Fire Keeper (The Storm Runner 2)

I followed the narrow cobblestone road that wound down toward the parroquia’s pink spires, and all I kept thinking was Execution. Execution. Execution.

I emerged onto the plaza, where garden lights illuminated the church, casting lean shadows against its pitted walls and towers. As I walked through the little jardín to the edge of the square, Rosie materialized from a wall of smoke.

I stopped in my tracks. “Hi, girl. Nice night for a walk, huh?”

Her eyes glowed red and she bared her teeth.

I knew there was no fooling her. “You think you can stop me?”

As an answer, my dog shot fire at me. I ducked, batting the flame down to the concrete like a tossed pillow. It fizzled out. “Really?” I said.

Rosie studied my face as if she didn’t recognize me. Not completely, anyway. “It’s okay,” I said. “I’m not really D-E-A-D.”

She peered at me with her shining brown eyes, and if she could talk, I swear she would have told me she didn’t want to be dead, either. I’d never admitted this to anyone, maybe not even to myself, but I missed the old Rosie with her black spots, goofy smile, and small stature. Getting her back from Xib’alb’a had been a dream come true, but things had never been the same between us since. It was all my fault for ever letting her anywhere near demon runners.

Finally Rosie accepted me. She groaned, then pawed my shoe.

“You can’t go with me, girl. Bad things could happen, and you could get cursed….” I scratched her head, realizing she already was cursed. And maybe we needed each other now more than ever. I glanced at the tall clock at the center of the jardín. Its hands were frozen on 4:25.

Just then, Rosie’s ears perked straight up as her eyes fixed on something behind me.

I turned to see Ren curled up asleep on a bench beyond the church’s iron gates. I was torn between checking on her and backing away. The last thing I needed was for her to wake up and ask me what I was doing there. But before I could make the decision, I noticed two shadows lingering beneath the bench. Were they sleeping, too?

Nope. Slowly, the shadows rose up, lengthening as they took the shape of human figures with glowing white eyes. I stood still, thinking maybe Ren’s shadows were like wild animals and it was better not to make any sudden movements.

The good news was that they hadn’t seen us. I placed my hand on Rosie’s shoulder. Don’t move, girl. Stay quiet.

The bad news was that my dog growled and shot a short stream of fire from her eyes. What part of quiet did she not get? “Rosie! STEAK.”

Too late. The shadows were already glaring at us. They drifted toward us between the iron bars. A nervous laugh bubbled out of me. “Steak…It’s a command…. See? She stopped.”

The shadows floated closer, growing to at least seven feet, and in the blink of an eye, they joined into one figure—a skinny long-limbed man with a top hat, walking on stilts. Honest. I don’t make this stuff up, okay?

Top Hat opened his mouth and the sound that came out was like a million vibrating cicada bugs.

Clickzzclickzzclickzz

Rosie was snarling, her massive fangs glinting in the moonlight. Man, she looked ferocious.

My brain did a one-eighty. In times like these, I was super glad she was a hellhound.

“Hey, Ren!” I called. I knew she was having a nightmare and wasn’t intentionally trying to kill us, but…“Now might be a good time to wake up!”

She didn’t even stir. Typical!

I crept backward, gripping Fuego. Not that my spear would do me any good. Last time I met up with Ren’s shadow monsters, Fuego was an epic fail and sailed right through them. Rosie launched another trail of fire, which, of course, didn’t deter Top Hat, either.

“Hey, uh…” I said shakily. “I’m not going to hurt Ren. I’m her friend. Just ask her—she’ll tell you.”

But Top Hat kept gliding closer—slowly, like he wanted to prolong my terror. Rosie’s hackles stood at attention as she stepped in front of me protectively. My mind shuffled through the possibilities…tall skinny dude in a top hat with no weapon. How much damage could he do to a 98 percent dead godborn anyway?

Top Hat extended his spindly arms. They grew longer and longer like one of those stretchy action figures.

“Hold him off, Rosie.”

She lowered her chin to the ground and snarled at the shadow. Ducking, I lunged behind a trash can, out of Top Hat’s line of sight. Just as I stood to race toward Ren and shake her awake, I heard a strangled yelp. Top Hat had Rosie pinned with a stilt jammed against her throat. My hellhound writhed beneath the shadow, her eyes shooting flames that were swallowed by the darkness.

“Get off my dog!” I screamed. I took off running toward the monster, instinctively launching Fuego through the air before my limp returned and my knees buckled. Just like last time, my spear sailed right through the form and looped back to me. I drop-rolled to the ground, swiping at Top Hat’s remaining stilt with my leg. I connected with nada.