Chapter 26 · Pay the Moon

The floor split under my boots.

Not cracked. Split.

Black water sprayed up through the line in the concrete, stinking like rust, old fish, and something burned. A hand punched out of the gap.

It had too many fingers.

“Mara!” Dorian shouted.

I grabbed the edge of Elara’s chair before the floor could take her with it. The chains on her wrists yanked tight. Metal screamed. She cried out once, sharp and ugly, then bit it back.

The First Hound came through the broken seal behind us.

It didn’t run.

It crawled low on all fours, huge shoulders rolling under wet black fur. Its head was wrong. Too long. Jaw hanging open around silver teeth. Red light from the emergency lamps crawled over its ribs.

Sable fired twice.

The shots hit the thing’s neck.

It barely blinked.

“Oh, come on,” she snapped. “That was expensive ammo.”

The Hound turned toward her.

Dorian shoved himself between us, one hand pressed hard to the silver cut in his side. Blood soaked his shirt. Not normal blood, either.