The wall shook again. Then, with a sound like a hundred china plates breaking, the crack widened a full two feet. Aran scrambled to his feet, then turned to admire his work.
The light from the middle clearing spilled through the passage, tangling with the shadows of the Dark Realm to create an intricate knotwork pattern. The air shimmered with magic, and promise.
The way to the mortal world was open.
Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, Magic
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Spark’s head throbbed in time to Bella Boingo’s latest hit. The singer’s voice reverberated through the stadium, and the thick, warm air barely felt breathable. Spark hoped the painkiller she’d taken kicked in soon, because her cue to go onstage was in twenty seconds.
The dancers hopped frenetically around the stage, and a synchronized light show flashed overhead while Bella sang. It was so loud, Spark only caught a few of the words—something about boys and candy and flying.
Bella ended the song and struck a pose, her mirrored costume throwing shards of light all over the stage, and the crowd roared. Really roared, like some hungry, devouring beast. Spark had experienced her fair share of adoration, but this was a whole new level of fame. Under Bella’s bubbly-sweet exterior, she must be tough as rocks to handle that kind of adulation night after night.
“I have such an exciting surprise for you tonight!” Bella said into her mic, once the crowd quieted a little.
Spark’s appearance wasn’t really a surprise, but hey—she could go with it. She slipped her wrist splint off and set it on a nearby table, then picked up her mic. No need to let the world know about her injury.
“Help me welcome superstar gamer Spark Jaxley to the stage!”
The crowd went wild again as Spark strode forward into the blinding lights. She could just make out some members of the audience waving magenta light sticks in her honor, and the sight turned her smile more genuine.
She waved to the crowd, then turned her mic on and joined Bella.
“Thanks for sharing your stage with me tonight,” Spark said. “It’s a real pleasure to be here in Landover.”
Bella put her hand on Spark’s shoulder. “Thank you for emerging from the amazing world of Feyland to say hello. Speaking of which—we have some killer footage of Spark in-game. Check it out!”
The stage lights dimmed as the screens flared to life. Spark wasn’t sure she liked the implication that she was actually a character inside a game, but whatever. VirtuMax and Bella’s PR people had scripted the dialogue, and they generally knew what they were doing.
The audience screamed and applauded as highlights of Spark’s SimCon demo played. Her defeat of the basilisk got a cheer that vibrated the bones of her skull.
The vid finished, and in the split second before the stage lights came up, everything went sideways.
A mournful wail cut through the air, loud enough to bring the crowd’s cheers down to a low murmur. Spark’s breath caught in her throat as an unwilling shiver raced over her skin. The call of the Wild Hunt! She looked wildly around for a weapon. The nearest thing was a backup singer’s mic stand.
Spark ripped the mic off the stand, handed it to the startled singer, then took up a position next to Bella. Despite the hot twinges of pain in her wrist, Spark hefted the stand, holding it crosswise like a staff.
The air in the center of the stadium roiled, forming an unearthly ball of light. It hung, suspended in the middle of the vast space. Then red-eyed hounds emerged from the sickly glow. Baying, they lunged forward through the thin air, heading straight for the stage. Behind them, mounted on horses with flaming hooves, came the rest of the hunt: elfin lords and fey creatures, their terrible beauty almost too much for mortal eyes. And towering above them all, the antlers of the huntsman. Spark gulped in a breath of sweaty air.
Thing had just gotten very, very serious.
“What’s going on?” Bella asked, keeping her mic off. “Is this some kind of VirtuMax special effect?”
“Get ready to fight,” Spark said. There wasn’t time to explain.
The first hound reached the stage. Spark swung at it, using the heavy base of the mic stand for momentum. She connected, and the hound went flying. Beside her, Bella kicked out, her high-heeled boots surprisingly effective.
The rest of the band got into the action as hounds swarmed the stage. The musicians and dancers were laughing and shouting, bashing away with mic stands. They had no idea it wasn’t a VirtuMax special effects show, but something far more dangerous.
Floating in midair, the huntsman watched from the center of the stadium, his eyes black pools. He raised his ivory horn to his lips and blew a sharp blast. The hounds turned and ran back to their master, and the audience went into a frenzy of clapping and cheering. Damn—they all thought it was part of the performance.