In search of Rhyn. She reached the top of the stairs and stared at a similar scene leading past the Arch and all the way up the park toward the city.
She heard a shout and whirled. The three creatures made a run for the stairs.
"Rhyn!" she called, darting forward. "Rhyn!"
Another vision, one of the Arch through the branches of a tree. She staggered and looked around widely before going to the right. She stepped on something squishy but didn't let herself stop to think about what it was. Instead, she half ran, half leapt through the piles of bodies into the treed area lining two wide walkways.
"Rhyn!"
She was closer. She felthim. No vision came to her and she continued. The creatures had reached the top of the stairs and were looking around, trying to figure out which way she'd gone.
"Rhyn!"
Her shout drew their attention, and they started toward her.
"Goddammit, Rhyn!" she said, tears rising to blur her path.
The taste of death was in her mouth and if she looked, she knew her shoes would be covered in blood. She ran, eyes blurry and stomach turning.
Stop.
His command was weak, yet the air around her stiffened until she hit an invisible wall.
She dropped, surprised and disgusted when one hand landed in what was a human or creature at one point. She wiped her hand on her shirt and leapt up.
"Rhyn?"
Katie.
She turned, not sure if she heard his voice or if he was in her head. She hopped over another mess and searched the darkness. His was the only form in one piece; he was propped up against the base of a tree. She dropped beside him, crying, shaking, terrified, and found he was unconscious.
"C'mon, Rhyn, they're getting closer!" she said, and shook him.
He sagged against her. She smelled his blood, felt the weakness of his body when their skin met. The sensations surprised her.
The creatures were coming. They'd kill her. They'd kill him. He wasn't waking up.
She choked back a sob and saw the glint of starlight off a knife on the ground. She crawled over him and snatched it, wiping its blade on her clothes before she hesitated.
She'd never cut herself before. She looked at her wrist, where Lankha had bitten her, closed her eyes, and hacked. Pain made her gasp as blood welled and spilled. She placed her wrist to Rhyn's mouth, willing him to awaken, to drink her. She'd never thought she'd find a reason to want some creature to suck her blood; if ever, now was the time.