Hotel Carnalifornia Ch. 03 Pt. 01

"Girl, I'm going with you. I'm just trying to decide whether it's more likely the black girl or the big-breasted white girl gets murdered first when we're together. And you know, we can't ever split up after this, right?"

Lora couldn't help the laugh that burst out of her. 

Finally, the other woman cracked a smile. "I'm in." She stepped back from Oliver, sliding an ice pick into her cargo pants pocket. "I'm Lelo."

"Good. I'm Lora. Oliver, what room is the second woman in?"

A door next to them opened. A woman with straight, black, chin-length hair and bangs to her eyebrows stuck her head out. "My name is Ankhta. I heard you talking. You've dealt with the vampire and the doctor. I'll go with you. Safety in numbers and all."

"Do either of you know of anyone else in the rooms?" Getting head shakes, Lora went on. "Let's get upstairs. We'll get you safe and figure out what to do from there."

"How did you get down here?" Ankhta slipped out of her room. She wore a white dress sleeveless dress with a scoop neck and sandals. 

"In the dumbwaiter."

"It'll take too long for each of us to go that way." Oliver jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The shortest way is up the main stairs."

They exited the hallway to find a tall, ebony-skinned man in a blue suit and tall hat on the staircase. He tapped a silver-tipped cane against the side of one shiny dress shoe. His grey eyes matched the color of his goatee. 

Lora half-expected music to play and the man to go into a song and dance routine.

"La Croix." Oliver moved to stand in front of Lelo and Ankhta. 

"Igor. You're looking... much improved."

"My name is Oliver."

White teeth flashed in a grin. "Oliver, then. You may want to move around the castle at a lesser volume than stomping elephants. Others who hear your racket may not be so gentlemanly as I."

Oliver snorted.

La Croix pointed his cane at Oliver. "I do not appreciate your aspersion on my character."

Lelo shifted from foot to foot. "Can you two not appreciate each other later? We're in a bit of a hurry."

"I shall accompany you."

"Uh." Lora glanced up and down the stairs. "Our host is not exactly a fan of uninvited guests."

La Croix extended his cane to point upstairs. "I know Nikolai. If he's receiving visitors, I'd like to see him. Shall we go?"

Lora wasn't sure if she wanted this stranger in front of them or at their backs. "I have to check one more room before we go up." Maybe Eve was in her room. "It's just on the third floor."

Sunlight tried to stream in through dirty, ornate stained glass windows running floor to ceiling behind the staircase that guests would have used. The hallways leading to the sides were dark. As they arrived on the third floor landing, Lelo let out a stifled shriek and flailed her arms.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a spider web. This place really needs a good dusting and airing out."

The hair on Lora's nape stood on end as she exchanged looks with Oliver. "We need to get out of here." Her eyes darted into the shadowy hallway.

A darkness in the corridor moved. Lora swung her flashlight into the gloom. The beam reflected off four pairs of shiny eyes. 

"Run!" Lora shoved the others away from her and fumbled in her pocket for her insect repellent. The spider moved fast -- way too fast for something so huge. The beast filled the entire opening.

La Croix leapt to put himself between Lora and the spider. His cane whistled through the air and smacked into the arachnid's leg. It used another to sweep La Croix aside. He crashed into a wall and slid to the floor.

The spider leapt from the corridor and landed on Lora. 

They fell to the carpet. Lora's head smacked into a step and stars burst behind her eyelids. Legs scrabbled to hold her down and hot breath wafted across her face.

The spider's head darted at Lora as she fumbled to uncap her spray. Would the repellent even work on something so huge? Something icy dripped onto her skin. Spider slobber. Disgusting.

Lora turned her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and held her breath as she depressed the button. Repellent hissed out in a toxic cloud.

The spider screamed and jerked back. Lora rolled to her side as the weight lifted from her body. She pushed to her hands and knees, then flattened herself when a huge winged form flew out of the opposite corridor and crashed into the spider. 

The two creatures rolled across the landing, the spider on top one moment, the grey angel the next.

With an inhuman bellow, the winged creature snapped out his wings and lifted the spider, carrying them both into the darkened hallway.

They were welcome to fight amongst themselves.

Lora stared where the pair had vanished. Thuds, grunts, and crashing sounds carried back to her.

She jerked as a hand pulled on her arm. Biting back the urge to yelp, Lora whipped the can of repellent around.

La Croix pushed her wrist down. "I would appreciate it if you refrained from the application of that poison to my person."

"Sorry." She pushed on the floor to rise, but one arm collapsed under her. 

"Are you injured?"

Lora shook her head. "My arm doesn't hurt, but it's numb. I must have banged it on the stairs when the spider tackled me. I can walk." She accepted the help as La Croix pulled her up. "Who the hell was that winged man?" 

La Croix stared down the dark corridor. "The Gargoyle. He normally stays outside. I don't remember ever seeing him in here before." He bowed, tipped his hat to her, and gestured up the stairs. The others waited on the next landing. "I suggest we get upstairs."

Lora bit her lip. Eve's room was in the hallway where the two creatures were fighting. With a numb arm, she couldn't fight well enough to take either of them on. Eve was smart. She'd stay in her room, if that's where she was. Lora needed time to let her arm recover and find a decent weapon. 

"Girl." Lelo shook her head, sending her braids swinging. "I thought for sure the big-breasted white girl was going to die."

"Don't write me out of the script yet." Lora climbed the stairs to join them. "Let's not push my luck, though."

Nikolai materialized on the fifth floor landing when they reached it. "La Croix. It's been a while."

"Your wish for solitude was clear. When I realized you had opened your doors. I had to see it for myself."

Lora cradled her numb arm against her stomach. "He helped fight the spider. I think we can trust him."

Nikolai gave a curt nod. "He will not harm you."

"Oliver, Ankhta, Lelo, this is Nikolai."

"Come in, everyone." A door Lora hadn't noticed opened to reveal a narrow wooden staircase. "Employee staircase. Come on."