Book Five: Chapter 170

Jenny’s laughter filled the room as the arm trembled, then cracked. Beth unfolded the fingers as Tick Tock slashed away at the statue, pushing it back until she could free the rat king.

“We have to free Death,” she yelled, then moved toward the wall. “Jenny, try to get this thing over here. Maybe we can trick it into breaking down this section of the wall.”

Jenny cackled, and the temperature of the room dropped so hard that it took Beth’s breath away. An eerie glow surrounded the guardian moments before it rocketed across the room, just missing Beth, to crash into the wall. The concrete cracked—but held.

Beth ran up behind the statue and tackled it into the wall. One of its ears snapped off, and it spun around and cocked its fist. She felt a chill in her belly and ducked in time to avoid the blow. It came for her again, but that eerie glow surrounded it again and spun it around. The statue’s fist connected solidly with the wall. Small cracks formed along its knuckl