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.Blood flowed over his hand and splattered onto the floor.It streamed down his wrist and crept beneath his shirtsleeve.Grimacing, Levi held up his red right hand and smeared blood over the words written above the door.He did this three times, moving from left to right, as if he were painting.Then, he stood back and surveyed his handiwork.Satisfied that the words were obscured, Levi opened the front door.“Get ready,” he called to Donny as he hurried back to the kitchen.“They’ll be coming now.”As if in confirmation, the creatures’ cries echoed across the town.Levi sat cross-legged in front of the pantry door, lit by the glow coming from the other side, and squeezed his wrist, hoping to stanch the flow of blood.He did not have to wait long.His foes arrived within minutes.They made no attempt to mask their approach.Their cries and threats preceded their arrival.Even so, he felt their presence long before they reached the house.The sensation filled him with loathing.and terror.A terror he hadn’t felt in quite some time.He focused on his breathing and tried not to panic.He needed to keep his thoughts clear and his will strong.Was it his imagination, or was the scent of the sage fading?“Your will be done, Lord.”Shadows moved in the open doorway.There was a sibilant hiss, and then all five entities appeared.They paused, standing at the threshold.One of them sniffed the air.“Sage, and salt.And blood.We know these ingredients.What paltry trick do you cling to now, Levi, son of Amos?”“No trickery,” he called.“The way is open to you.Enter freely and of your own will.I give you my word that I will not harm you in this place.”The creatures hesitated for another moment.Levi worried that they might not take the bait.Then, one by one, they entered the home.The tallest pointed.“The remainders are clustered upstairs.See to them, that our work here might be done.”Levi’s pulse increased.“Why? Are you afraid to face me instead?”“Do not try our patience, bearded one.”“I seek not to offend, but I must admit that I’m perplexed.The others cannot harm you, and yet you focus on them first.I would think that instead, you would wish to deal with me first.After all, I’m the real threat.”The five shadowed figures crept closer, nearing the stairs.Levi held his breath, hoping they wouldn’t divert, and hoping Donny could hold his ground if they did.“Your arrogance will be your undoing, little magus.”“And your self-assuredness will be yours.It always is for your kind.Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.”“He has forsaken you.He has forsaken all of you.”“He has done no such thing.”That’s it, Levi thought.Keep coming.Just a few more steps.The creatures halted at the stairs.Two of them glanced up, sniffing the air.One licked his lips.“My God is stronger than yours,” Levi taunted.“You know this to be true.I serve the one true God.”“Your God has no power over us, and neither do you.”“If that’s true, then face me, cowards.”That did it.Levi grinned.Snarling, the revenants forgot about the humans upstairs and stalked toward him.Their eyes and teeth flashed in the darkness.The air grew colder and the gloom seemed to deepen.Levi shivered.Beyond them, he saw a figure sneak down the stairs, moving silently, and dart toward the front door.Thank you, Lord.Just a moment longer.The dark men entered the kitchen.Levi remained still, projecting calm.His legs were still crossed.He held out his hands, palms up.“Now,” he said, smiling up at them.“I guess you’re wondering why I’ve called you here.”One of the figures raked its talons along the wall.“Enough of this.You’ve stalled long enough.Now you die.”“Go ahead, Levi,” Donny shouted.The revenants turned at the sound of his voice, just as Donny fled up the stairs.Two of them raced over to the stairwell, but halted when they reached the salt.“What is this?”“It’s salt.” Levi stood up again.He was still grinning.“You’ll note that it now covers all entrances and exits from this place.I know it’s not really a sphere, but according to the Law, it still counts as a circle.”The figure closest to Levi smiled.“Very good, little magus.This was unexpected.”“Thank you.I like to think on my feet.”“Of course, it is a futile gesture.There is one thing you didn’t consider, Levi, son of Amos.There is one crucial flaw in this pitiful attempt to defeat us.”“Oh? And what’s that?”“You are trapped in the circle with us.”“No.” Levi’s smile vanished.“It’s you who are trapped in here with me.”Levi sprang to his feet as they charged toward him.Everything now came down to timing and placement.He had to be exact, had to make it look natural, or all of his efforts would be for naught.He would die here, in this broken circle, and Meeble’s minions would win.He darted to the left and ran toward the slightly open door, seemingly attempting to evade his attackers and get behind them.The ruse worked.They slammed into him in front of the pantry.Their talons and teeth slashed at him, ripping and tearing.Levi howled in pain as his blood began to flow.The creatures howled with him, shouting angry curses in a language not their own.Levi let his knees go weak, allowing their combined weight and the force of their attack to drive him backward.He prayed they’d come with him, and his prayer was answered.They clung tightly, their claws sinking deeper into his flesh.Half-blind from pain, Levi crashed into the pantry door and tumbled through to the other side.The revenants fell with him.They toppled to the ground together, but his opponents were too enraged to notice that their surroundings had changed.Biting his lip to stifle his screams, Levi lashed out with his foot and kicked the door shut.Esther’s pantry vanished, taking the rest of the world with it.Slowly, their attack ceased.One by one, they withdrew from him and stood, staring speechless at their new surroundings.Levi did the same [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]