Sinth Salvation - Pearl Tate Page 0,41

I see he has a few sprays of rust-colored splatter on him, but not as bad as I’d expect. The worst part is how their gator-shaped mouths open and close repeatedly even though they’re not attached to their bodies any longer.

These things are like reptiles on steroids, and their tails trail behind them as they lunge forward, clawing at each other and try to reach for Nikon. As worried as I am about him, I know he can take care of himself. Turning around, I look over at the bus. From my vantage point, I can see the driver’s seat, but instead of an adult, I see multiple children in the front seat, watching as Nikon decapitates more and more Taxin.

Great. If they weren’t going to be wrecked by what they’ve witnessed so far, they’ll be having nightmares for sure now. Nikon said I needed to interact with the Earth dimension in order to enter it. I’m definitely still in the gateway because no one has noticed me, including the crazy-ass female Taxin who continue to charge Nikon like he’s a rock star, squealing and jumping over each other.

Phasing closer to the bus in spurts, I realize it’s easier to control than I thought it’d be. Like when driving, you don’t concentrate on what’s right in front of you. Instead, you just look ahead to where you want to be. Almost immediately, I’m standing in front of the bus, reaching out to the rumbling engine.

Touching the front of the bus, I feel the warm vibration as it sits idling. Instantly, a Taxin around the side of the bus notices me, lunging at me with a scream that’s both ear-splitting and nerve-grating. Shit!

Realizing I’m totally unprepared, I suck in my breath and attempt to phase back into the gateway. Nothing! Duh.

Unfortunately, I’ve given up the fancy lightsaber to Nikon. I brace myself for the impact with my arms, but just as the Taxin reaches me, I see the sparkling lights that let me know I’ve done it. Yes!

The high-pitched wail is cut short as the Taxin disintegrates right as its claws latched onto my clothing. Dust swirls around me as I cough and study my surroundings, waving the dust away from the gateway to our dimension. One of the young boys in the bus is jumping up and down, pointing to my left where I just stood, and another just stares in awe. I guess they saw me disappear. Oops.

And when I did, I took a Taxin with me. This must be what Nikon meant when he talked about disrupting the vibration of the cells in living species if we phase with them.

Wow! He wasn’t kidding. That was quick … and easy.

Why isn’t he doing that?

Glancing over at him, I see he’s struggling to clear the Taxin from the men on the ground as the elderly woman screams in her car, which only attracts more and more Taxin to come investigate her.

Idiot.

I need to check on the kids, though. I want to clear the way to the side door like Nikon is doing to the man … no, men, who are lying on the ground. Phasing to the side of the bus. I notice the doors aren’t completely closed. A teacher … or chaperone is wedged in the space, holding the doors and fighting with the Taxin as they gnaw at the rubber that normally overlaps at the opening.

He’s putting up a valiant fight, crouched down and using his body weight to keep the doors closed, but I see the scratches and minor bites being inflicted, and I know he’s not going to be able to keep up for much longer. This time, instead of using the bus as a grounding into the Earth’s dimension, I reach out to the back of one of the Taxin.

They’re just a little over half my height, but I still hesitate, staring at the slimy scales. They really do almost look like walking alligators. Of course, they have distinctive humanoid necks, but the way their shoulders slope from the back … I can’t help the way my heart accelerates in trepidation!

Every cell in my body is screaming to run. Run and never look back. Fear paralyzes me as I envision the worst that could happen!

CHAPTER NINETEEN

- Lilibeth

Straightening my spine, I take a deep breath. It comes out shaky, but I wouldn’t have entered and trained for the police force if I planned to run at the first sign of trouble. I’ve trained for this very