Specter Rising (Brimstone Network Trilogy) by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Author:Thomas E. Sniegoski [Sniegoski, Thomas E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Published: 2012-03-06T06:00:00+00:00

9. IF THERE WAS ONE THING JOHANNA KNEW FOR sure, it was that traveling through interdimensional passages really sucked.

She tried to think of the quickest way to describe how it felt if somebody should ever ask her, and decided that having your guts yanked out through your belly button and wrapped around your neck a few times pretty much nailed it.

Passing through Bogey’s rift to the Fthaggua homeworld was one thing, but this was a different story altogether.

Different magicks affected different species differently, she figured.

Through to the other side, she immediately dropped to her knees and tried not to throw up. The ground was cold and rocky; what grass there was, yellow and dry. She could feel her dogs around her, their ghostly snouts nuzzling her face and hands.

“I’m okay,” she told them, catching her breath. “Give me a sec and I’ll be fine.”

“Not sure if ‘fine’ is the right word,” a voice that she recognized as Wolf-Emily said.

Johanna lifted her gaze, wiping a hand across her bangs for a better look, and just about had a heart attack.

What was that old saying her Grandpa Harkness had always used, something about falling out of a frying pan and into the fire? Yeah, it was something like that.

It looked as though the passage had opened onto some kind of army camp. Lots of armored guys like the one who had come to visit the Fthaggua demon were coming toward them—some riding on horses that looked more like lizards.

The dimensional passage behind Johanna started to crackle and spark, spilling the crippled kid, Dez, and the monster that was supposedly his dad onto the ground. And just as the passage looked as though it was going to close up for good, Bogey stumbled through, falling to the ground as the magickal doorway slammed shut behind him with a loud pop.

“Hey,” Johanna said, giving Bogey a kick where he lay. “We might need one of your windows or doors or whatever the heck you call them.”

But the little creature’s only response was a throaty snore.

The army was closer now, and Johanna felt herself begin to panic.

It was all happening so fast. Sure, she wanted to be part of the Brimstone Network . . . but was she really ready for stuff like this?

She remembered the smirk on Mr. Stitch’s pale face when he’d finally given in to her protests and allowed her to come. “Trial by fire,” he had said. Whatever the heck that meant.

She’d been psyched then. Not so much now.

“Stay your ground,” Stitch ordered, standing tall and looking as if he could handle just about any situation.

The army guys looked pretty gnarly, pulling weapons from scabbards on their belts, jumping down from their horses to say hi.

“Remember there’s a treaty between us,” Stitch said.

Johanna remembered a snippet from her seventh-grade history class, something about a treaty between humans and the Specter preventing a war between the two races. She seemed to remember it had something to do with Bram’s father.

“These guys really don’t look like the treaty types,” Dez said.

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