“Where are you!” she screamed aloud at the stone.
You have to feel around to find it, and it’s too high for the pack to reach.
She stretched up, sliding her palms left and right, manically waving both arms. The stone was smooth, slick, and moist. Blood. It’s splattered with blood.
“Help!” Konniger cried, not sounding at all like himself, not even sounding human. The high-pitched screech was something a small animal might make and was accompanied by a deep growl that she felt as much as heard.
Persephone’s hand crossed a bump she’d missed before, and she slammed her fist against it, more in a physical expression of panic than any hope of success. She was rewarded with the green light’s glow, a sliver that widened with the low grind of stone on stone. She fell into the rol, hitting her knees on the hard floor. The pain streaked up her body, making her cry out again. She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes watering.
Behind her, the bear continued killing Konniger.
No, not killing, not anymore. She heard another snap but no cry, no screech. Konniger was dead. The bear was ripping what was left of him apart.
I’m next, she thought.
Gritting her teeth and opening her eyes, Persephone pushed off the floor. She was back in the little room with the glowing green stone, square columns, and ribbed archways.
I have to close the door!
Built by the diminutive Dherg, the doorway wasn’t large; she had no trouble reaching the diamond at the top of the threshold. She pressed the stone plate. It moved easily enough, and the door obediently began to close, the stone slab sliding left to right with a steady grind.
Hadn’t it slammed shut before? Watching the massive stone scrape its way shut, Persephone was certain it had closed faster the last time. Close, damn you, close!
Illuminated by the eerie green glow spilling out of the doorway, a vision of horror emerged. The bear had the better part of Konniger in its jaws and was shaking him, spraying his blood across the walls of the crevice. The animal’s fur looked strange, not like fur at all but rather charred skin. It wasn’t a bear. It couldn’t be. She finally saw its true form. Suri and Konniger had been right. The Brown was a demon.
The bear’s shining eyes saw her, and with remarkable speed the beast lunged. The door was almost shut, but the bear shoved its head through the opening and caught the stone with a paw. Whatever force was driving the stone stopped.
The bear roared again as it struggled to claw its way in, back legs scratching, struggling to catch on the opening, trying to pry it wider. Persephone had no idea what force caused the door to open and close along its track, but she prayed it had the power to crush the bear, to kill it.
Whether the bear wanted in or out no longer mattered. The stone was around its throat, and the beast was caught. It pressed forward and jerked back in frustration. With one paw still hooked, its claws gripped the edge of the door. Four dark claws as long and thick as fingers dripped blood—pieces of flesh trapped under each. The bear roared in anger and with an effort pushed its paw against the door.
Persephone watched in horror as the stone slab inched back. With another grunt, the bear pushed again. The stone gave another inch, the gap growing wider. Soon the bear would be able to catch the edge of the door with its back claws and heave it wide.
Inside the room and to the right of the door lay Raithe’s old shield. The same one she’d used when fighting the wolves. Persephone picked it up and, just as before, used both hands to thrust the bottom edge at The Brown’s snout. The animal wailed and growled. She hit the beast again and again, as hard as she could. The bear’s face turned bloody.
The Brown jerked backward. In a panic to escape the blows, the bear withdrew the paw that had clutched the edge of the door. With its removal, the stone slab resumed its left-to-right march, closing once again. The gap remained too small for the bear to pull its head out. Trapped, The Brown twisted and jerked violently, but the door continued to close, pinching around its neck. Again Persephone bashed at the animal’s face in the vain hope of somehow forcing it out. The bear wailed in desperation, fear, and anger.
As the door slid the bear’s roar became a whimper.
Tighter and tighter the stone inched, squeezing the animal’s throat. The Brown jerked harshly, still struggling to wrench its head free. Then the animal succumbed to panic. Ignoring all pain, it bucked and twitched, shrieking in such terror that Persephone took a step back.
Slowly, very slowly, the bear lost its strength. Persephone watched its face, its bloodied nostrils and eyes, as The Brown grew silent and still. Persephone continued to stand before it, holding the shield and rocking with the pounding of her heart.
After several minutes with no movement from the bear’s head, she finally allowed herself to sit down. She sat right before the door, in front of the massive head of the bear, whose eyes remained open. Two small black globes like polished pebbles reflected the green light. Persephone felt her breathing hitch. She still held tight to the shield, and wrapping her arms around it, she began to cry.
At first, the tears came from the aftermath of fear—the sort of mortal terror she hadn’t known before—which left her exhausted and stripped of dignity and pride. Yet that was only the beginning. In her weakened, exposed state, the dam burst. She relived the deaths of Mahn and Reglan, followed by her two younger children. She thought about Aria and her mangled son, Gifford, who somehow had survived against all odds. She imagined the deaths of Raithe and Malcolm, Maeve and Suri. She cried for all of them and for the innocents of Nadak and Dureya. Crouching on the floor in the eerie green light, she wept until she had no more tears. Then she lay down with her cheek against the stone. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember how to breathe, how to think, and how to live. Somewhere in that process, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.
—
They found her in the rol covered in blood, holding Raithe’s old shield.
The dead bear was in the door, Konniger’s remains just outside. They identified him by the copper boss of the shield floating in the pool. Konniger’s spear was there, too, lost in the fall. He hadn’t expected to fight a bear.
Raithe was the first one into the rol, with Malcolm, Suri, and Nyphron close behind.
He stood over Persephone, feeling his strength run out. He knew they would be too late the moment Suri told them about the bear’s intentions. Dureyans weren’t used to happy endings. That was one of the reasons he’d always enjoyed his sister’s tales. They gave him hope—but they were just stories; reality always turned out differently. He stood over Persephone’s crumpled body, vainly clutching the shield he’d left, and found himself wishing that he’d been her Shield. That he could have been there even if it meant dying alongside her.
Strange how I never appreciate anything until after it’s gone: my family, my father, Dureya…her.
Slowly, gently, he bent down. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said, and kissed her on the forehead, surprised at how warm she still felt. Usually, the—
She woke with a jerk and pulled back, disoriented and frightened, until she saw them.
“Raithe?” Persephone said groggily.
Raithe sucked in a sharp, stunned breath. “Are you—are you all right?” he asked, shocked. An immense and uncontrollable grin stretched across his face.