A loud crack echoes through the room and everyone seems to stop and look around, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from but when nothing happens, the chaos continues. I shove people out of the way. “MOVE,” I roar, pushing them hard, not giving a shit as they tumble to the ground. All that matters is that little girl.
“WINTER.”
King, maybe. I don’t know. It’s too loud in here.
The cracking sound continues, and having absolutely no idea what it is, I just keep running until I’m crashing down beside the little girl. She looks up at me with wide eyes, eyes that look so damn familiar, so blue and beautiful that in an instant, I know this has to be King’s baby sister, Caitlin.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I promise her, desperately looking around and knowing that’s going to be a shitload harder than it sounds. There are no stairs out, no lift or escalator. We’re just left here in a fiery pit to perish.
I reach down and grab her, seeing that her hand is crushed and her leg more than just broken. She must be in agony. The sharp squeal that tears through her as I grip her arm and desperately pull her up is proof of that. “I know it hurts,” I cry for her, “but I have to move you. I have to get you out.”
Tears stream down her face as she nods, showing me just how strong and brave she is, just like her big brother.
As I get her standing on one foot, someone bumps into us, sending her sprawling back down to the ground. “FUCK,” I yell, desperately grabbing at Caitlin and pulling her into my arms. I lift her and get her to wrap her arms around my neck then call over the deafening noise for her to hold on as best as she can while the cut on my arm screams in protest. Her legs get tangled in the tulle of my dress, but I don’t stop to fix it. I have to get her out of here now.
Where the fuck is King? “If you see your brother, tell me,” I call right into her ear, making her nod as I feel her tears dripping off her chin and landing on my shoulder.
The loud crack sounds through the room again, this time coming with the sound of live electricity. The lights in the room flicker, and with the fires taking over the roof, it sends long, creepy shadows soaring across the ballroom.
“WINTER. FUCK.”
I stop. “CRUZ?” I yell, desperately searching around, the panic rising high in my chest. I don’t want to die here today. I can’t. “WHERE ARE YOU?”
The crack continues, getting louder and pounding against my aching head.
“FUCK, WINTER. MOVE.”
Two strong arms collide around me and throw me and Caitlin across the dance floor. She screams in my ear as we crash to the ground. The arms wrap around us, protecting Caitlin’s head as we hit the dance floor hard.
“KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN,” Cruz yells in my ear just as the massive chandelier above the dance floor breaks free from its hinges and crashes to the ground, sending sharp glass shards flying through the room like a wave of destruction.
People scream as I feel the exposed skin of my back being blasted with glass, but for the most part, Cruz covers me, doing his best to protect us both as our weight pressing down on Caitlin only makes her scream louder.
Cruz quickly gets off us, his eyes scanning over me with a deep relief, but he doesn’t waste a single second and looks down at Caitlin, the recognition instantly flashing in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he takes Caitlin from me, scooping her off the ground and holding her with ease. “Fuck, her leg’s broken,” he curses as I get up beside him.
“I know,” I say, scanning my gaze over her beautiful little face and meeting her eyes that are so much like her brother’s. “Be careful. I think her hand is crushed too.”
“Fuck.”
Cruz instantly pulls me along, gripping me tightly and moving fast as we race through the bodies. “Where’s Ember?” I call as I notice more people laying on the ground, covered in blood, some of them not moving at all. I look back at Cruz and instantly get an elbow to the side of my face. “Are the guys okay? Fuck, Cruz, tell me they’re okay. Carver … he was right beside me. I haven’t seen him.”
“Fine. Ember’s fucking terrified, but she’s helping someone. She isn’t cut out for this though. The smoke is getting to her.”
Dread sinks heavily into my gut, but I can’t get caught on little details. I need the whole picture. “The guys?” I ask as I notice people trying to scale the walls to get up to the mezzanine level that leads to the only exit, only half of them drop and crash to the ground with a sickening thud.