The Pyramid Chronicles: Fortuna Guard (#2) [MOVING JUNE 30]

Chapter Thirty-Six: Revelation

Eric paced back and forth in the hallway, next to the hole he'd put in the side of the building.

Why had that monster come here? It had seemed to target him during the fight, but why track him and no one else? How could it track him over such a large distance, anyway? Or move so quickly?

Lightning flashed outside, adding to Eric's unease. In the brief moment that the dark forest was illuminated, he half expected to see that thing coming at them. It would be all too easy to sneak up on them in the darkness.

A low rumble of thunder rolled through the forest.

"Are we going up yet?" Eric asked. It had to have been more than five minutes.

"I'm just as anxious as you are," Summer said. "But I want to make sure the way up is clear enough." She was attempting to balance her baseball bat on the palm of her hand, taking quick steps to prevent it from toppling over. Veronica watched from where she sat on the ground next to Sam, who was resting his head back against the wall with his eyes closed.

As Eric looked his way, Sam's eyes opened. His gaze flickered to where the team four group stood nearby. He frowned.

"What happened to Raveena?" Sam asked. "She was just here."

Eric looked to team four and realized that they were one short. "Not sure," he said. He'd been too focused on the world outside to pay attention to what was happening in here.

Team four exchanged looks. "We didn't realize she'd left, either," one girl said.

"Maybe she decided to join the fight," Veronica suggested.

"Should we ask over comms?" Eric asked.

"I don't know," Summer said. "Maybe in a little bit. People are busy fighting, and she could be anywhere." The bat toppled over, and she barely caught it with her other hand.

No more than a minute later, someone spoke up over comms. "A couple of us made it to the twelfth floor," the boy said. "We were forced back since we were way outnumbered. They're definitely protecting something up there."

Summer glanced at Sam. "Sam, do you think you can check if there's a server room there or something?"

Sam opened one eye. "Now that I have somewhere specific to look, I can give it a try."

While he focused, the clicking sound came again. Much closer this time. But still not quite as close as it had been in Gamble Forest.

"Yeah, I think it's a server room up there. Lot of computers in one room." Sam's eyes opened. "It's going to be hard to get through all the altered, but if Veronica can hold everyone down for just a few minutes, we should be okay."

Veronica nodded. "I can do that."

While she and Sam climbed to their feet, Summer waved to team four. "Hey, we're going up." She studied them as they turned to face her. "None of you are ferrokinetics, are you?"

They all shook their heads.

"You're a cryokinetic, right?" Summer asked a girl on the right.

"Yeah," the girl answered with a nod.

Summer gestured to the hole in the wall. "Think you could seal that up with ice?"

While the girl worked on the wall, Summer faced Eric, Sam, and Veronica. "I'd rather block the opening with metal, but maybe that'll delay the creature a little if it gets here."

Eric nodded, though he didn't have high hopes. The ice wall was thick, but it was only ice, and it wasn't exactly cold out.

"What should our team do?" one of the other girls on team four asked as the cryokinetic finished sealing the wall.