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“What in the hell is going on?”

“Wise up, Door Master. Do it fast,” it said. “If you don’t, Lyonesse will eat you alive.”

Dread spooled down her spine. The tips of her fingers tingled as she raised her hands, trying to delay the beast’s departure. Bad things were on the horizon. The creature’s presence might as well be the harbinger of death.

“Listen,” she said, then paused, having no idea what to say next.

“No time.” Finished morphing into a man, it glanced at the open hallway behind her. A warm current of air hit her in the back. As she swayed forward, a sting nipped the nape of her neck. The man-beast tipped its head back to scent the air. “The queen has mobilized. The Slayer will not be far behind.”

“Who — what are you talking about?”

Her question rushed down the corridor and…

The monster-now-man turned. She saw the yellow of his eyes, then… nothing. Like vapor, it ghosted through her solid wood door.

Shocked, Truly stood paralyzed in the hallway. What had just happened? What in the hell was going on? Frustration streamed through her. Urgency prompted her, reminding her of a self-appointed mission —don’t let it leave.

Forcing her muscles to unlock, she lunged toward the front door. Her feet hammered the floorboards as she sprinted down the corridor. The work of seconds, she made it to the entrance. Without thinking, with no plan in mind, she grabbed the door handle and yanked.

The door swung open, then wide.

She clamored over the threshold, skidded across the porch and jumped over the front steps. Her feet hit the front walkway. The thud echoed, blasting out onto the street and —

Thank God.

She wasn’t too late. The thing still stood in her yard, bathed in the glow of streetlamps, standing at the end of the cracked pathway.

The importance of that fact registered.

Attention riveted to the beast, she plotted a moment, grasping for what to do next. Stalling sounded like an excellent idea, but… why, exactly? What good would stalling do? It was already outside her house, free to go where it wanted and… God. She needed someone to explain a few things. Her night had gone from weird straight into bizarre. Given more time, who knew what else might walk though her front door tonight — pixies, elves, a whole battle contingent of Orcs.

The thought made her stomach ache.

She powered through the reaction, and racking her brain, tried to figure out the best way to keep it from escaping into the streets of Philadelphia.

“Hey!” Not exactly pithy, but given the strain, it would have to do. “Hold on a second.”

It glanced over its shoulder. “You grow tiresome, Door Master.”

“Nothing good will come of this.”

“For you, perhaps,” it said, a hideous grin on its face. “I’ll be just fine.”

“No, you won’t,” she said, leading with intuition. “Someone will come after you, hunt you down and —”

It growled at her, baring sharp teeth in a now-human mouth.

“I’m right, aren’t I? You might have escaped, but…” She paused, realizing she could read its intention. The skill startled her, but didn’t knock her off course.Stall. Stall. Stall.The longer she kept it talking, the better off she would be. “You won’t stay free for long.”

“You are more powerful than you know, Door Master.” Breathing a lungful of fresh air, it stepped off her walkway onto the sidewalk. “But you can’t stop me. I’ve been imprisoned for decades. Since the last great war. Nothing, not even you, will stand in my way.”

Decades.The last great war.

Truly frowned. World War Two, maybe? Or was it talking about a different war — one that occurred in the place it came from? All good questions. Facts to ponder… some other time, when she didn’t have a monster to stop. “What are you?”

“I am Wendigo, destroyer of worlds.”

The declaration hit her like a punch to the solar plexus.