With Alvin in my head and the witch’s spells working against me out here, I knew I was in trouble. I refused to give in, even if my heart thundered uncertainly. I had to be smart, that was all.
When I pushed off the wall, I hissed as if in pain. I wasn’t in pain, but the brothers didn’t know that. I let my feet tangle beneath me so that I stumbled away from them. The hallway twisted around me. I tried to focus on one thing so that I could catch myself when I fell.
Wouldn’t it be nice to find a fire alarm that I could pull? I wasn’t so lucky, though. Instead, I caught myself on a metal railing that led up the nearby staircase. There was a chance that I could use these stairs to make a break for it, but that wasn’t the reason for my performance.
Before Marcus or Jackson could grab me, I propelled myself away from the railing and back towards the brothers. Maybe I should have tried to escape, but this way, the spell’s aura didn’t pass over the railing. Now, my scent was on that metal railing, and there was a chance that Ryder might be able to find it.
Marcus grabbed me by the back of the neck and jerked me close. “What is your problem?”
His breath reeked. I cringed away from it and fought the urge to gag. Okay, so I didn’t fight it that hard. My stomach clenched tight, and a bit of bile climbed up to the back of my throat.
“Drama queen,” Marcus muttered.
He shoved at the back of my neck, forcing me to bend. My back screamed at the horrid angle. Marcus turned me away from the stairs and led me back down the hall like a scolded dog.
I nearly laughed at Marcus’s stupidity. With Jackson ahead of us, scouting their exit, Marcus and I were alone. Here was my chance. I had to take it.
Marcus’s grasp left my throat exposed. I took advantage of that gap by falling forward. Marcus didn’t even have time to react as I slipped out of his hand and hit the floor. I laughed, exhilaration fluttering through me.
I rolled away from Marcus before he could grab me again. Out of range, I got to my feet and stumbled towards the stairs. If I ran up the stairs, the brothers might follow, and the aura of their spell would erase the scent marker I’d left. So, I ran past the stairs and into the front lobby of the building.
A pair of glass double-doors glowed with the light of the midday sun. My heart leapt as I rushed forward. A dark silhouette across the street drew me to a halt. I jerked and rocked back. Dread hit my gut like an avalanche of cold. I fumbled back.
I didn’t have time to process who was outside. I knew. My body reacted almost against my will. Though I’d done by best to never show fear in the face of that man, I still couldn’t help but turn and run. Especially after what happened last time.
I couldn’t let Alvin have me. If he finished the ritual, he would own me body and soul.
Behind me, Marcus cursed. He tried to call out to his brother, but they were wearing ear plugs. I didn’t think Jackson could hear him right now. So, while Marcus decided whether he should get his brother or run after me, I put some distance between us.
In the lobby, I noticed an elevator. It was old and looked like it might drop me into the basement before it even considered lifting me to an upper floor, but I ducked into it anyway. Inside the decrepit elevator, I slapped the button for the top floor.
What would I do up there?
Who fucking knew? All I wanted was a bit of time to catch my breath. When the doors closed and the elevator lurched upwards, my heart settled a little. I breathed out and fell back against the wall. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop as I waited for Alvin to take ahold of my body again.
Nothing happened. My hound and I each shook ourselves and prepared for what was to come. If he was this close, then I needed to make sure that I didn’t run right into his hands. I had to find my way back to Ryder. Together, we would escape.
Alone, I was afraid that I wouldn’t have the strength to hold out against Alvin. Not when he was so deeply entrenched in my mind.
I just hoped that the brothers hadn’t figured out where I was yet. They weren’t the smartest, but they also weren’t completely stupid. Sooner or later, they would retrace my steps. They would take the stairs or find another elevator. Either way, that should slow them down. I only hoped that I didn’t run into them up there.
The elevator would buy me time. So long as I could stay away from the brothers, I should be able to find my way back down while they were preoccupied with finding their way up.
I watched the light move across the numbers over the doors until it finally stopped at the top floor. My stomach churned uneasily. The elevator doors slid open, revealing two very unamused shifters glaring me down. I gaped at them.
“How the fuck did you two make it up here already?”
They couldn’t hear me, though. They still had those damn earplugs in. I braced myself, already looking for my exit. Was Alvin watching somehow? Would he stun me again if I tried to make another break for it?
Jackson stepped into the elevator. He reached out for me as Marcus entered and hit the button for the ground floor. I dropped to my haunches and launched myself under their arms. The gap was narrow. I heard the metallic creak of the elevator doors closing, tightening the gap.
There was no going back now. I lunged. The elevator door hit me in the side and showed no sign of slowing. When I tumbled onto the floor outside the elevator, I gave the ancient device a silent thanks. Since it was so old that it didn’t have a doorway sensor, the doors kept closing behind me.
Marcus snarled and wedged himself through the closing gap in the door.
“That’s unfair!” I said with a wave of my hand as he just barely made it through the gap. The door didn’t even pinch the toe of his boot.
When he leveled a deadly stare at me, a shiver ran down my spine.
“Oh, shit.” I spun on my heel and ran.
I didn’t think about where I was going.
Ryder, where are you?
I grasped for that connection I’d felt when Alvin began setting up the ritual. Just like Beryl had said, it was broken. The tether that had once bound him to me now sagged. I tugged and tugged, but nothing happened. Not even my desperation could get it to come back to life again.
Well, shit.