Page 87 of Ravaged Devotion

“Put it on hold,” Ryker ordered, glaring when his friend bristled and clearly didn’t agree with that choice.

“He’s right,” Uriel sighed and sided with him against his cousin. “It’s too risky now. We should go back and come up with another way. One that doesn’t rely on others to get the job done. Clearly none of them can be trusted.”

They’d drawn up a play using paper and pen, and had collected things they’d need to execute it, like rope, but it seemed like that had all been for nothing. Even if they went through with it, approaching the situation like they would on the hypovolley field, they couldn’t exactly drag the creature back here.

Killing one of them would also draw the attention of the others, and the pool house was nowhere near as secure or sturdy as the main lodge.

“Fine,” Ellery gave in. “What’s the play then? How are we going to make it back? And what do we do if the door is locked?”

Shit, Ryker hadn’t even considered that possibility, but it was safe to assume if something had prevented the group inside from following through with the plan to use the second speaker, then they most likely hadn’t bothered unlocking the back entrance either.

“The lounge is made of glass,” Uriel said. “The sliding doors that separate it from the lobby lock, I checked last night. We could always break in and then lock the door behind us.”

“It’ll cut off the entire room,” Ryker pointed out. “With the power down, that’s the only area with fireplaces.” And it got fucking cold this high up in the mountains.

“The rooms have plenty of blankets,” Ellery suggested. “We can just go door to door and take them all. Better than breaking in through the dining hall and cutting us off from our food source.”

He made a valid point.

Ellery picked up the fire extinguisher they’d collected and planned on using to help herd one of the monsters. “We use this to clear a path if they get in the way and book it as fast as we can.”

“It’s a partial plan,” Ryker said. “But we need more.”

They all considered their options in silence for a moment, then Uriel moved to the back of the room, disappearing into a storage closet they’d already picked through. When he returned, he was holding a stack of gallon sized plastic buckets and a large bottle of some chemical.

Uriel separated the three buckets and then grabbed the coil of rope and dropped it into one of them before dousing it in the chemical solution.

“What’s up?” Ellery’s brow furrowed as he watched.

“One of us walks this out as far as it’ll reach, and then we light it on fire,” Uriel replied. “The flames will hopefully act as a barrier on one side. Then we only have to worry about them coming at us from the other. There’s not enough rope to do both, and it’d be too risky for two of us to go out there anyway. Fill the buckets with the rest of the chemical and take them with us. If we see one of those things get close, douse it and light it on fire too.”

“That’s…dramatic as fuck. I’m in. You?” Ell looked over to Ryker.

There’d been a match box on the counter next to a candle that employees clearly lit for people relaxing in the pool house when it was open. He snatched it and shook them once, wordlessly agreeing.

“Everyone take a couple.” He slid the box open and took out four, handing two over to each of them, then grabbed some and stuck them in his own front pocket. There were still plenty inside. “If there’s a creature, whoever is closest splashes them with the chemical while someone else lights their match. Toss right after. Even a second between could be the difference between life and death for us.”

“They move fast,” Uriel said. “That’s smart. The two of you can move together, I’ll bring out the rope and then wait for you at the end of it. It looks like there’s enough to get us almost to the back door. The last couple of yards we’ll just have to make a run for.”

“I’ll go,” Ellery offered. “You hang back with Ryk.”

“No, it’s got to be me. I have experience with this sort of thing.”

“Be so for real right now.”

“I am,” he insisted. “There are all sorts of creatures in Belladonna.”

Quiet settled over them as they were all reminded where Uriel had been these past few years.

“How many times did you die in situations like this one?” Ryker finally asked.

Uriel didn’t so much as flinch. “Only a dozen or so.”

“Only—” Ellery cursed.

“But it’s been a while,” Uriel finished, as if to placate them. “I got better at it and haven’t had to re spawn because of death by monster in a long time.”

“Lovely.” He pinched his brow.