Moon Shimmers(7)
Menolly nodded, veering off, shouting at the vroll. I raced over to the tunnel, which was pedestrian only, cursing as the gravel bit into my feet. But I ignored the pricks and jabs of the stones, instead focusing on the area in the center of the tunnel. I could create a bright sparkly ball of energy there, hopefully long enough for the vroll to notice it and come running.
Shouts and screams echoed behind me, and I whirled around, skidding to a stop beside the tunnel opening. Oh gods, the vroll had found the wedding, and with it, the silver balloons that were attached to every chair at the event. He was headed right toward the throng of invitees, just as the bride was walking down the aisle.
Chapter 2
“WHERE IS HE?” Smoky’s voice rumbled out from behind me as he, Vanzir, and Delilah appeared, stepping out from the Ionyc Sea.
“Over there, about to cause havoc.” I waved toward the reception.
Smoky and Vanzir immediately took off sprinting. Delilah hung back.
We watched them go. I licked my lips. Smoky was one hunk of a dragon, all right, and he was all mine. Six-four, with ankle-length silver hair that moved on its own, he was tall, lean, and muscled. He dressed in white jeans, a long white duster, and a pale blue turtleneck.
Vanzir, on the other hand, was five-eleven, with a short platinum shag reminiscent of the late, great David Bowie. His eyes were mesmerizing. A continual kaleidoscope, they were a color beyond our perception. Vanzir was punk-chic, gaunt and lanky, and he was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a black leather jacket over a Metallica T-shirt. Both men were scary strong, and both of them made better allies than enemies.
“I hope this works,” Delilah muttered.
“Whether it does or not, I think we’re screwed. The guests have noticed the vroll.” As much as I didn’t want to, I motioned for her to follow me and we headed over to the wedding ceremony that was quickly turning into a screaming mob. People were swarming, trying to escape. Trouble was, whoever had set up the chairs placed the rows too close together and the guests were having trouble getting out. They were tripping over each other, falling, and in one case, one man was using his folding wooden chair to beat off another man.
“Crap. We need to take control—” I stopped as Menolly raced into the crowd, shouting for order. Unfortunately, a few of them recognized her and began screaming.
“Vampire! Vampire!”
“We’re being attacked, run!”
“Oh my God, we’re going to die!”
Menolly was trying to make herself heard, but the screaming drowned out her voice. Smoky veered off from Vanzir to help her take control. Meanwhile, Vanzir continued directly toward the vroll, who had stopped, obviously distressed by the chaos and shouting. I stared at him, feeling sorry for the creature. He couldn’t help what he was. All he wanted was a quiet place to hide and finish fading away into the mists of time.
As Delilah and I reached the mayhem, Fry came running. She stopped a ways from the crowd and, holding her shotgun in the air, let go with a round.
Oh, that would go over with Chase really well.
“Order! I will have order!” Her voice thundered above the racket. For such a tiny woman, she had one hell of a bellow.
I headed over to help Vanzir. He had positioned himself between the vroll and the crowd. The creature was studying him, cringing with fear, but also, a faint hint of curiosity.
Vanzir glanced at me. “Still want me to drain him down?” The words were callous, but his tone was not.
I hung my head. Truth was, I didn’t want anything of the sort. I was firmly in the camp of the vroll now. He had been woken up by idiots who couldn’t leave well enough alone, who just had to dabble with forces they knew nothing about. Now, he was just trying to find a safe place to live out the rest of whatever life he had.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I guess we don’t have any choice. I thought I could lure him over beyond that wall, but it would just be a matter of time till someone else found him and tried the same thing. I wish we could lure him out to Smoky’s barrow, but I don’t think there’s any way we could.”
“I think you’re right. Don’t blame yourself, babe. He just doesn’t fit in this world anymore.” And with that, Vanzir turned to the creature and held out his hands. Glowing neon-colored tubes emerged from his palms and sunk into the translucent figure of the vroll. The creature stiffened, then relaxed. “I’m making this as comfortable as I can. Trust me, there isn’t much life energy left in this one. He’ll fade out fast and without pain.”
Grateful that Vanzir actually understood, I watched, feeling that somebody ought to stand vigil over the last moments of this creature’s life. Trolls were big and stupid and dangerous, true. But this one had managed to live for a long, long time, into the modern world. And now, the vroll would vanish, a frightened shell of what he had once been.