Plaster cracked from the impact. Milton jumped back, breathing heavy as the ni’mere fell forward. It rose onto its hind legs inches from me, shrieking.
I moved without thought, lurching to my feet. I didn’t think about what I was doing. I didn’t hesitate. It was almost like I was someone else as the ni’mere swung at me with sharp, bloodied talons. I dipped under its arm and spun. Snapping upright, I thrust the dagger deep into the ni’mere’s chest. The creature’s stunned gaze met mine as I jerked the blade free. The ni’mere stumbled back, its legs folding. The creature went down, dead before it hit the floor. I looked up.
Grady stared at me, eyes wide. “What the fuck?”
I glanced at my blade. “Holy shit.”
A shriek cut through the air as another ni’mere entered the hall.
“Shit,” Grady cursed.
I scrambled past Allyson, catching the door and slamming it shut. I threw the lock, knowing it would only slow the others down, as Grady shot forward. He didn’t thrust the sword into the ni’mere. The steel would do very little. He twisted at the waist, sweeping up with the sword. The blade sliced through the ni’mere’s neck. Blood sprayed as Grady severed its head. He stepped back, blood splattered across the side of his face. I really hoped the ni’meres were one of the Hyhborn that couldn’t regenerate.
“You okay?” I whispered, coming to Grady’s side.
“Yeah.” He glanced down at himself, swallowing. “Yeah.” He turned to me, eyeing the dagger. “You?”
I nodded.
“How the hell did you do that?” He took ahold of my arm.
“I don’t know.” I swallowed, heart thumping.
Allyson jumped as something hit the door. “There’s more.” She began backing up. “Library. Now.”
Stomach twisting, I shoved my sudden, inexplicable, and rather impossible prowess with the dagger away to deal with later. I turned as Allyson shoved open the doors. We raced into the chamber just as the sound of wood splintering reached us. Allyson cried out, fingers curling against the chest of her gown as Milton and Grady closed the doors behind them.
“Get the chairs— the settee,” Milton ordered. “We’ll block the door.”
Quickly sheathing the dagger, I rushed forward and slammed my hands into the side of the settee. It barely budged. I whipped toward Allyson. “Help me.”
Her wide, frightened eyes met mine as she hurried to my side, and I locked on to her. It happened so quick. I connected with her, and my second sense came alive so fast there was no stopping it as she moved forward to help. My entire body jerked.
Then I saw her falling— fresh red running down the front of her blue gown. Then I felt it— sharp agony along my throat, burning and final as the silver chain snapped and the necklace fell, the sapphire splattered with blood—
Breaking eye contact with her, I pushed harder on the settee, its legs tearing the carpet. “Hide,” I rasped. “Go and hide.”
“You need help. You can’t push this— ”
“No.” I shoved her away, toward the stacks.
She stumbled back. “Lis— ”
“You need to hide. Now. Don’t make a sound. Don’t come out. You hide. Do you understand me? You stay hidden, no matter what.”
“Y-Yes.” She wrapped her arms around herself.
“Go. Now.”
Allyson slowly backed away and then turned, disappearing between the rows of books.
Grady joined me, grabbing the side of the settee. We carried it over to the door. Milton shoved a heavy chair against it—
A thump hit the doors, causing the three of us to jump again. Another bang hit it. A ni’mere shrieked, turning my blood cold.
“Really wish I had that wine now,” Milton muttered.
“We’ll get you a dozen bottles after this,” Grady assured him. The ni’mere hit the door again, shrieking. “We need to hide.”
My mind raced for a good hiding place. I thought of the heavily curtained recesses that many of the staff liked to sneak to, either for a brief rendezvous or a quick nap. Some of them even had doors in them that led to other chambers or to stairs that went to the mezzanine above. Which ones, I couldn’t remember. “The alcoves. To our left. Some of them have doors.”
Milton nodded, swallowing hard as he glanced around. “Best of luck.”
Then he darted off, heading toward the wall. Grady and I did the same. We rushed through the maze of bookcases. The wall of alcoves came into view as the library doors crashed open.