by Lee Collins
"Who."
The strange conversation only fueled Victoria's fear. Was this woman simple-minded? Was she mad? Who or what was she?
"You sound like a goddamned owl," said a voice from above them. Victoria's eyes darted upward. Blue orbs burned in the darkness, regarding her with murderous intensity. A scream burst from her throat, and the new voice laughed. "And you sound like a coyote. Am I the only human here?"
There was a sliding sound, and the eyes plummeted toward the ground. Boots clapped against wood as the intruder landed. He straightened up, eyes leering at her from a shadow. A swath of moonlight fell across his torso, illuminating a belt buckle and button-up shirt. The fall would have broken any man's legs, but he seemed unharmed. "Then again, I ain't exactly human my own self."
Victoria's limbs finally responded. She slid into a halfcrouch, arms splayed out, ready for the man to attack her. He responded with another laugh. "Ain't you just a regular tom cat? Never would have guessed you lady Brits was so feisty. I should've bagged me one a long time ago."
"What do you want with me?" Victoria demanded, fear lending strength to her voice.
"A man has needs, darlin," the man said, "and I ain't just any old man. I'm quite a bit more, if you take my meaning, and I got extra needs that need seeing to, too."
"Quiet, demon." The woman's voice resonated in the darkness. The man's glowing eyes snapped toward her. After a moment, he took a step backward.
The woman's gaze returned to Victoria. "You are from the east?"
Victoria nodded.
"And you visit the woman hunter?"
"Yes," Victoria said, confused.
The strange eyes blinked. "This is not pleasing."
"It's bad enough that bitch is getting herself some fancy visitors," the man said. "Who gives a shake where they're from?"
"East is dawn-child," the woman said. "East is the path of the Witchery Way."
"You saying this one here's a witch?"
"I am no witch," Victoria said.
The woman blinked again. "You say no?"
"Yes, I say no."
"Your words say both at once," the woman said. "I see your wind."
"She's British. That means she's stuffy, but it don't mean she's a witch," the man said. "Hell, look at her. She ain't bright enough to be no witch."
"You waste your wind, demon. I would not hear you speak."
The blue eyes flashed in defiance, but the man didn't reply.
"You, British," the woman said. "What is your name?"
Victoria hesitated.
"Tell me your name."
Her mouth moved against her will. "Victoria Dawes."
"What is your purpose here, Victoria Dawes?"
Again she held back, and again something pulled the words from her. "I came to see Cora Oglesby, the woman hunter."
"This you have said." The woman stepped toward Victoria. "It is not my answer. I say again: why did you come here?"
"Was it to teach that Oglesby bitch witchcraft?" the man asked.
"I told you, I'm not a witch," Victoria said. "I don't know where you're getting that idea, but you're wrong."
Neither of her captors replied. Silence enclosed the barn's interior as they continued to regard her with their inhuman eyes. Weariness began creeping into her arms and legs. It pulled at her eyelids and shoulders, drawing them downward. The straw beneath her toes suddenly felt soft and inviting, and she was so very tired. What could laying down for a minute hurt? Just a quick nap. She had a train to catch in the morning, after all, and her eyelids were so very heavy.
Victoria shook her head. No, she couldn't sleep. How could she even consider it with these two monsters so close? What was wrong with her? Gathering her strength, she stood to her full height and took a deep breath.
The red eyes floated backward slightly. Victoria looked into them, a new resolve hardening her voice. "What do you want with me?"
"To learn, Victoria Dawes," the woman replied. "I see you visit the woman hunter, and I am curious. Why should a woman from the east visit her?"
"My business is my own," Victoria replied.
"It's our business when you hop your pretty little self over to that saloon and have a nice jawing with that Cora Oglesby," the man's voice said. "We have a mighty keen interest in her our own selves, so when she gets strange visitors, we tend to take notice."
"What do you want with Cora?"
"To learn," the woman said again.
"Your methods of acquiring knowledge are rather dubious," Victoria said. "Kidnapping is generally regarded as a crime."
The woman stepped closer, eyes gleaming. "You do not know crime."
"I'm no constable, I grant you that," Victoria said.
"Your wind grows hungry," the woman said.
"My what?"
The woman stared at her without replying. Victoria challenged her eerie gaze, trying to demonstrate her strength of will. An unseen force began building against her chest, as if someone were trying to push her backward. She leaned into the pressure, fighting it with both body and mind. The woman's eyes grew brighter. The pressure increased, and Victoria struggled to breathe against its weight. At any moment, she expected her feet to slide across the floor.
The glowing points turned away from her, and the pressure vanished. Victoria sucked in a breath and nearly stumbled forward. Her head throbbed.
"Hungry, yes, but also strong," the woman said quietly.
"What?" the man asked.
"This one," she said, turning back to her prisoner, "has a great gale inside her. Perhaps she does not know how to free it, but it is there."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"We have learned something." Moonlight glimmered on the woman's skin as she extended her hand. Victoria shied away.
"Nothing useful," the man complained.
"You are not one to speak of usefulness," she replied.
"And what do you mean by that?"
Victoria sensed the onset of an argument. She began easing away from the two, making her way backward. She didn't know if she would find a door in that direction, but at the very least she could put some more distance between herself and her quarreling captors. Each step was precise, calculated to make as little noise as possible. It was an art she'd mastered as a little girl to swipe lemon bars from the pantry after her bedtime. The danger of getting caught had seemed just as real to her then, but she knew the consequences this night would be far more deadly.
Three agonizing steps later, she felt something solid behind her. Her fingers touched wood. She stole a quick glance backward. The rear wall of the barn stood behind her. Now if she could just edge along it until she came to a door, she could make her escape.
Icy fingers clamped around her neck. Victoria felt herself lifted off her feet and pinned against the wall. Her chest heaved as her lungs worked to pull air past the powerful grip. It wouldn't come. She dug her nails under the fingers, trying to pry them away. Blue flames burned mere inches from her face. They left streaks across her vision as her eyes rolled frantically, searching for help that would never come. Already her arms grew heavy, even as her lungs screamed in agony.
"Enough, demon."
The voice was quiet, reaching out to her across what seemed like miles of darkness. Death released its hold on her throat, and she fell. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she lay on one side and breathed in ragged gasps.
After a few minutes, her head slowed its sickening spinning. Looking up, she saw the two sets of eyes peering down at her.
"We mean you no harm," the woman said.
"What do you want?" Victoria asked. "Please, just tell me what you want."
The blue eyes moved forward, and she cowered against the wall, covering her head with her arms.
"Peace!" Steel lined the woman's voice. "You are not to move or speak until we have finished, demon. Do you understand?" Silence. "Good." Turning back to the huddled woman, the woman's voice spoke in gentler tones. "Please, do
not fear. My friend is hot with anger, and it makes him act like a fool. I will not let him harm you."
As the woman spoke, Victoria's limbs slowly unwrapped themselves. She looked up at the uncanny eyes floating above her. "Please."
"I must know why you came here," the woman said. "Why did you visit the woman hunter?"
"To ask for her help," Victoria said in a small voice.
"Why do you seek help?"
"My parents. They died. Monsters killed them. I was told Cora could help me."
"What monsters?"
"I don't know." With each word, Victoria relaxed more. It felt so good to tell this woman the truth. "They were large and black, like shadows. Their eyes were yellow. They scared our horse and drove us into the river."
The woman did not speak for a moment. The silence crawled up Victoria's legs. Had she said something wrong? She was only telling this woman what she wanted to know. If she really meant what she said, she would call off her friend and let her go. Victoria just had to keep cooperating.
"I do not know your monsters," the woman said at last. "Why should the woman hunter? Is there no man in your country who knows?"
"One did. Does. A professor named James. He told me to come find Cora."
At the mention of James, the blue eyes grew bright. Tendrils of fear coiled around Victoria's chest, and her neck ached at the memory of those cruel fingers. She braced herself for another attack, but he remained where he was. Victoria looked back at the woman with new admiration.
"You see?" she said. "He will not hurt you again."
"Thank you," Victoria whispered with a grateful smile.
"So this...professor told you to come to the woman hunter?" the woman asked. Victoria nodded. "What did he tell you of her?"
"She is strong. She kills monsters." Her vision blurred. "But he was wrong. She refused to help me. She doesn't hunt monsters anymore, so she can't help me." She wiped at tears with the back of her hand.
The woman leaned in close. "What did you say? She does not hunt?"
"Not anymore," Victoria said. "She said she stopped. She wants to live in peace. She won't help me." A small sob escaped her lips.
Silence again. Victoria looked up. The red eyes had vanished, but the woman's presence lingered nearby, strong and sinister. The man's blue gaze still floated in the shadows, though it no longer looked her way. Victoria wrapped her arms around herself. The hopelessness of her situation descended like a thick, smothering blanket. She fought against the flood of tears that would, if unleashed, dissolve her into a useless, blubbing mess. Even if she were to die in this place, she would not die weeping.
A sudden breeze swirled through the barn, sending straw fluttering every which way. Victoria's head came up, and her breath caught in her throat.
The two creatures were gone.
Confused, Victoria waited, straining her eyes in the darkness. Seconds passed. The breeze faded away, leaving her in silence. Bracing herself against the wall, she rose on shaky legs. No lights glinted at her from the shadows, no hands reached out to strangle her. Taking a step forward, she paused, listening. Nothing.
Wetting her lips with her tongue, she marshaled her courage. "Hello?" she called, half-cringing. Her voice rang against the walls before fading into the shadows. There was no answer.
Somewhere inside her, a small hope blossomed. She took one step, then another. Her legs stopped shaking. Straw rustled beneath her feet as she began walking faster, her eyes sweeping the empty stalls for any movement. The barn door loomed ahead of her, the great white X painted on it promising an escape from this nightmare.
When Victoria reached the door, she stared up at it for a moment. How had the two creatures managed to leave the barn without opening it? Not that it mattered. Hooking her fingers around an exposed corner, she pulled. The door didn't budge. She pulled again. It swayed slightly in place as the sound of creaking wood drifted down from its runners.
With a grunt of frustration, Victoria shoved in the opposite direction. Metal squealed and groaned as the door shuddered, but it moved. She pushed harder, her toes digging into the rough wood beneath her. Inch by inch, the door slid aside. Fresh air tickled her ankles through the ever-widening gap. The scent of the night sent thrills through her body as the door's momentum started carrying her along. She let herself laugh then, and the stars seemed to share her mirth as they glittered down from their places in the endless sky.
The door reached the end of its rail and jerked to a halt, sending Victoria sprawling. Righting herself, she pulled her dressing gown back down to cover her legs. A patch of moonlight illuminated the straw covering the floor, making the barn's interior far less frightening. Where once had been an abyss of confusion and fear now stood just an old building. Giddy with her newfound freedom, Victoria gave it a quick curtsey before stepping out into the night.
Outside, a scene of quiet desolation awaited her. Wooden fences extended from the walls of the barn to frame a large yard. A wind pump stood at the far end of the enclosure, groaning at the occasional breath of wind. Some distance away, a large house sat on top of a small rise. Victoria's hopes rose when she saw it, and she began walking.
The ground was rough, covered with rocks and short, scrubby plants that poked and scratched at her bare feet. She picked her way across the yard, doing her best to avoid the worst of them. The moonlight helped, but she still put her weight down a few times only to wince and pull her foot back. Her feet ached worse with every misstep. By the time she reached the house, she fully understood why all the locals wore thick leather boots.
The house's windows were dark, but she stepped up to the door and knocked anyway. No answer. She knocked again, calling out for help. The house remained dark, wrapped in a brooding silence.
Uneasiness crept back into Victoria's stomach as she stood on the porch. She felt exposed. Her back was to the barn and the expanse of desert beyond it. Those people or creatures or whatever they were could still be out there, watching her. In the barn, they had disappeared in a gust of wind. They might be able to return the same way. She glanced over her shoulder. Nothing moved behind her, but that didn't mean she was safe. With those things out there somewhere, she was never safe.
Victoria's nerves finally overwhelmed her good manners, and she tried the doorknob. Finding it unlocked, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The air was just as cold inside even though none of the windows were open. She called out again, her voice ringing in the absolute stillness, but nothing stirred. Spirits sinking, she began exploring the house.
"They are not at home."
Victoria's heart stopped. Her head snapped around. Red eyes gleamed at her.
Without thinking, Victoria sprinted across the room and up the narrow staircase. Darkness enveloped her. At the top, she found a hallway with doors in both walls. Choosing the door on the right, she slammed her body into it. Wood cracked, and the door fell open. A bedroom. She dashed to the sole window and tried to open it. It was sealed. She would have to break it. Something in the room, a chair or a lamp, could do it. She turned from the window to search.
A face looked back at her.
Victoria screamed, jumping backward into the wall. Something was crouched on the bed. It had a human shape, but the face was horribly misshapen. Teeth erupted from its mouth in jagged clumps, mashing together in a tangled mass that poked through the remains of a beard. One eye was missing, torn out by whatever carved the gash that ran from the monster's right temple to its left cheek; the remaining eye regarded her with feral hunger as its teeth clicked together.
The creature placed a hand on the bedpost, edging closer to her. She pressed herself against the wall. Tearing her eyes from the horror, she glanced to her right. The door hung on its hinges at an odd angle, damaged by her violent entrance, but it was still open.
A hiss of air whistled through crooked teeth. Victoria kept the monstrosity in sight as she worked her way toward the door. Its eye watched her progress with a predator's inter
est, but the creature didn't lunge for her. Instead, it crawled down onto the floor, keeping pace with her. Remains of a shirt and trousers hung from its bones. Powerful legs coiled beneath it, ready to spring.
Another hiss broke Victoria's nerve, and she ran. Her bare feet carried her back into the hall and down the stairs. She could hear the thumping of the creature's limbs on the floor. Reaching the lower level, she risked a quick glance over her shoulder. A grey shape loped along only a few paces behind her. Fresh terror gave her a boost of speed, and she careened through the open front door into the night.
Rocks jabbed at her feet, but she didn't feel them. Small cacti scratched her exposed ankles, but she didn't care. Her lungs burned, her eyes watered, but she kept going. All that mattered was outrunning the thing behind her. She could see the barn ahead of her. Maybe she could hide in there, or find something to fight with, a pitchfork or a shovel. Anything was better than facing it down with nothing but her dressing gown and overcoat.
The barn was close now. Victoria put all her energy into one last sprint. Head down, she rounded the corner and collided with the strange man.
Bouncing back from the impact, Victoria lost her balance and fell. The man stood over her in an instant, boots planted on either side of her chest. His blue eyes burned down at her. Moonlight lit his face, and she saw his features for the first time. Shaggy hair covered his ears and fell in straight locks across his cheeks. A beard, welltrimmed, framed his lips, brushing up beneath his nose. But for his eyes, he looked like an ordinary man, even handsome. Denim trousers and a roughspun, button-up shirt identified him as a local.
"Howdy, darlin."
Victoria dug her palms into the dirt and shoved backward. Rolling onto her stomach, she pulled her legs under her in an effort to double back the way she came. A glance ahead stopped her cold; the creature from the bedroom crouched on all fours, waiting for her. She rose to her feet and turned to face the man. Her hope of escape was gone, but she refused to cower before him a second time.
A grin spread his lips. "You sure ain't hard on the eyes, you know that?" His blue gaze swept up and down her body. "I always do get randy at the sight of a woman in her bed clothes. Guess part of me is still a man."
