Face the Dark (Hunters of the Dark #3)

by Dave Ferraro

  ***

  Shanna frowned at the green scaly woman who sat between her parents on the sun-filled train, scaly tendrils poking out of her head where hair should have been. “Who are you?” she wondered aloud.

  “You don’t recognize me, Hunt?” the creature asked, a hurt note invading her voice.

  Shanna stepped closer and glanced out of the window at the rolling hills. She noticed a scarecrow waving enthusiastically from one of the hills and resisted the urge to wave back. “What are you doing with my parents, Rangda?”

  “What am I doing with them? Why, nothing. They were here when I arrived.”

  “Hi, Honey,” her father greeted her, looking up from his newspaper.

  “Hello, Dear,” her mother said, not even bothering to glance up from her book.

  Shanna didn’t answer them, but continued to look at Rangda.

  Rangda sighed. “Fine, since you’re being all huffy about it.” She tilted her head as she looked at each of Shanna’s parents. “Very innocent, your parents. Nothing mystical about them whatsoever. Interesting that they gave birth to one so in tune with the supernatural. The reincarnated Diana. Virgin vampire protegee of the Impaler.” She paused. “Voice of the demon world. Of course you realize by now it was no coincidence that those demons picked your parents for their ritual sacrifice.”

  “Wha-what?” Shanna stammered. “I don’t...”

  “Come now, Hunt,” Rangda said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You must realize that you’re somewhat responsible for what occurred. If those demons hadn’t felt your power, they would have passed over such an ordinary household.” She looked over at Shanna’s mother again and stroked her hair lovingly. “But then again, it was Fate’s fault, in a way, was it not? It’s certainly not something that you wished upon yourself.”

  “Of course it wasn’t,” Shanna said.

  “Shanna? What...who’s that?”

  Shanna turned around to see Brett looking at Rangda and her parents, confused.

  “Brett!” Shanna exclaimed. “I...this is-”

  “Rangda,” the demon greeted him. “It’s nice to meet you, Starr, but unfortunately I can’t stay long. Your pet canary will be here very shortly.” She turned to Shanna and winked. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Hunt.” She paused. “And you know, you really should read up on that ritual those demons performed on your parents. Ritual sacrifice always makes for a fascinating read.” She slowly faded, as if being beamed aboard a starship, leaving her parents on the bench with their reading.

  “So she’s a friend of yours now?” Brett asked, skeptical.

  Shanna shook her head. “No, it’s…complicated.”

  Serene and Rachel suddenly appeared at the other end of the train car, Rachel looking a little disoriented.

  “I have found your comrade,” Serene said proudly, pushing Rachel forward.

  “I thought she was the bad guy,” Rachel said, looking back at the siren a little fearfully.

  “Another thing that’s complicated,” Shanna sighed. “And right now, we have to end this thing. Serene is kind of our weapon.”

  “He’s a lot stronger than you’d think,” Rachel told her. “And just like a dream, everything’s a little fuzzy, and confused. I hope you’re not underestimating him.”

  “Believe me, I hope so too.”

  Everything around them suddenly grew blurry and faded altogether. The colors blended together as if dyes were bleeding into other dyes, ruining the fabric of the landscape. When everything fell into focus again, they found themselves back in Greece amid the ruins.

  “Ah, my dreamscape,” Serene said, taking a deep breath of the salty air.

  Shanna looked around and realized that they were in the courtyard, Nora of Arta staring at them silently, accusingly. But this Nora seemed to be able to move her head to follow their movements.

  “That thing is creepy,” Rachel muttered, watching it in fascination.

  “You aren’t kidding,” Brett told her, taking a step closer to Rachel, as if being closer to one another would render it a regular old statue again.

  The wind began to pick up and seemed to focus on surrounding them where they stood together. It quickly gained speed and became a regular tornado, keeping them in check.

  “I don’t think this demon likes that we are taking charge,” Serene observed. “It’s trying to intimidate us.”

  “There he is!” Brett announced, pointing out past the whipping wind.

  Shanna turned to see the creature staring at them, a huge grin across its face, like it was enjoying itself. Zigzagging sharp teeth that seemed to grind up against each other, reminding her of a shark.

  “Why are you doing this?” Rachel called out to it.

  The Sandman didn’t answer, but merely stared down at them curiously.

  “What…?” Brett looked down at his hand and suddenly he disappeared.

  Shanna’s eyes widened and she met Rachel’s eyes with fear.

  “It didn’t kill him, did it?” Shanna asked, her chest tightening. “It couldn’t have just…”

  Rachel shook her head slowly. “No, it approached me when it tried to engage me, make me…forget something. Maybe how I got you out of here last time. I don’t think it can just do something from a distance. It needs to use its…sand.” She nodded. “Yeah, I think it uses its sand to use its magick.”

  “Then Brett…?”

  Rachel shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know.”

  Suddenly the wind died and the ruins around them quickly became silent.

  “What…?” Rachel looked up at the Sandman, how it examined them, stepping a little closer to get a better view. “I think it’s just as confused about Brett’s absence.”

  Shanna considered, then tilted her head toward Serene, not taking her eyes off of the demon for a second. “Now. While it’s distracted.”

  Serene cracked her neck, then watched the dream demon for a moment before opening her mouth, and letting notes drip from her tongue.

  The song started out soft and slow, but was soon as vibrant and powerful as the wind that had encircled them. It felt like a physical thing, drawing the demon down to them, luring it in by some unseen fishing rod, closer and closer.

  The creature seemed hypnotized as it shuffled over to them, climbing down the temple walls and dragging its feet across the cobblestone.

  Shanna and Rachel looked at each other like they couldn’t believe it was working.

  “Come on,” Shanna murmured. “A little closer. A little closer.”

  When it was just a foot away, Shanna held out her hand, palm facing up. She braced herself and watched the creature in the robe like it was about to pounce on them.

  As soon as he was within reach of Serene, the siren grabbed him by the collar. Shanna followed her example and reached out for a handful of cloth, feeling the sand granules shift in its hand beneath her fingers.

  “You’re the only one who’s still attached to her body,” Shanna told Serene. “Wake up.”

  Serene looked at her and smiled. “Thank you for this chance, Shanna. You won’t regret the trust you’ve put in me.”