Excerpt from Darkness, Oklahoma

      The corridor descended into the limestone. They had been walking steadily for nearly a half hour.
      "Is this natural?" Darcy asked, touching the smooth walls.
      "Could be," Luke said. "Darkness has a lot of underground springs." They reached steps that descended into the dark. "But someone carved these." He looked at her.
      She gazed back.
      "Things have gotten real crazy," he said.
      "That's the word," Darcy said. "But what can we do? We have to stop the Bone Queen."
      "If I can get you out of this, I will," he said. "You're not like me. This wasn't meant to happen to you." He reached out and touched her cheek.
      She covered his hand with hers. "If it hadn't, I wouldn't have met you. That would have been too high a price to pay."
      He stepped forward and kissed her, drank in her scent and sweetness. He pulled back, feeling his heart ache in ways he hadn't felt before. "We've got to survive this," he said.
      She nodded.
      He turned the flashlight to the stairs and led the way.
      They descended more, the stairs dropping them faster into the depths. The air became damp and heavy.
      "Look," Darcy whispered. Ahead of them, a glow cut into the dark.
      "Get behind me," Luke said. He drew his gun and led the way into a huge chamber of straight rock walls. A vein of clear crystal glowed in the rock above them. The chamber had no seams, the rock seemingly having flowed to form these impossibly straight angles.
      Darcy stepped forward and then stopped. She looked back at the stairs, fear on her face.
      "I sense her," she gasped. "The Bone Queen, she's following us. Alice failed."
      Luke grabbed her arm and ran with her toward the other corridor. It led them to a smaller chamber with no other exits.
      "Luke," Darcy breathed.
      A sword in a plain silver scabbard floated in the middle of the room, lit by some light that didn't seem to have a source.
      Luke started to step forward, but Darcy gripped his arm.
      "No, look." She pointed to the floor. A labyrinth path was worked into the stone. "We have to walk the Way. Carefully. I don't know what will happen if we misstep, but it won't be good."
      Luke took a deep breath. He could hear something coming down the stairs, heavy steps echoing like a monster walked it. He made his decision.
      "You walk it," Luke said. "Get the sword. I have to stop her."
      "You can't, Luke," she said. "She's too powerful. I can feel her."
      He looked at her. "I am the Protector. I'll stop her. Or die trying." He turned away. His body blurred as he raced down the corridor back to the outer chamber.
      "Luke!" Darcy called. He didn't turn back.
      Luke reached the outer chamber as a tall woman stepped into the room. He stopped. He didn't know what he had expected, but this tall, beautiful woman wasn't it. He saw her eyes then, the glittering hatred and spite chilling him.
      Luke aimed his revolver at the woman. "Stop."
      She smiled. "And if I don't, human, what will you do?"
      "I'll shoot you, but I don't suppose my gun will do much," Luke said.
      "No, it will not," the Bone Queen said. "I am Senkarn, the Bone Queen, and no weapon of this realm can harm me."
      "You will pardon me for trying," Luke said and emptied the gun into her body. She jerked with each hit, but remained on her feet.
      She laughed. "This is the Protector? This is the best Substance can do?" She closed the distance between them. "I shall feast on your heart."
      Luke backed up, keeping himself between her and the inner chamber.
      "Maybe, but you should know one thing," he said. He raised red glowing eyes to stare at her. "I'm not human." And with that, he cast his humanity aside.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.