Page 117

“Go,” I said choked. Tobias would make sure Peter was okay too. He’d promised.

I staggered against the wall and slid to my butt. I tucked my shaking hands between my thighs.

They would find Peter. They would protect him. Chanting the words over and over was all that kept me sane.

The door crashed open, stubbing my toe. I ignored the pinch and jumped to my feet. Peter staggered in and pulled Sydney in after him. I slammed the door closed.

“Thank God,” I choked and grabbed his arms to scan him. Sydney kept her grip tight on his sweater.

“Where’s Ren?” I croaked.

“I don’t know. Tobias brought us,” Sydney muttered.

Ren had gone to find him. I shoved my fingers in my hair and brushed the waves back from my face.

The door opened and Violet came in and slammed the door behind her. Her shoulders moved exaggeratedly, and she slumped.

“There are a lot of humans with guns.” She pressed her hand to the bleeding wound in her chest. Just a little to the left and it would have turned her to dust. Her nails clawed into the wound. She hissed.

“You’re hurting yourself?—”

“I have to get it out.” She plunged her fingers in her chest and her hisses became louder. She lifted a silver bullet and flicked it away from her. She sagged over with a hiss. That little wound weakened her. If they’d shot any of the guys . . .

“Violet,” I croaked. “You need to get them out of here.”

She shook her head. “The sun is about to be up.”

“And what do you think will happen if you, I and Peter pass out while those humans are here?” Her lips tightened. “Exactly. Get them to the car and drive as far as you can before you hunker down from the sun. Sydney will be able to keep an eye on you both while you’re unconscious.”

“But there’s a lot of them?—”

“I’ll cause a distraction.”

“Catalina—” Peter snarled.

I put a finger up.

“No. I am in charge of you. Of both of you.” I swept my attention to Sydney. “You need to protect her.” His jaw tightened. “We don’t have time to argue. Peter, I will be fine. I always am.”

I turned to Violet, and she nodded once. I swept my eyes around and grabbed the first weapon looking thing I could use. It was a metal bar. A part of some of Bastien’s equipment.

The guys were taking too long, and I wouldn’t have left without them anyway. I peeked through a crack in the door. The coast was clear. I gripped the bar tight, carefully opened the door, and inched forward until I could peek into the hallway. No one was there.

“Go out the back and take any of the cars, they always leave the keys in the glove compartment,” I whispered and refused to look at Peter. I didn’t want him to see the fear in my eyes. Inching out, I left the door semi open so Violet could listen. A large human man stood at the exit, and I purposefully knocked into the wall so he could hear me. He came running after me. I ran into the hallway and kept going until I reached the foyer. Bodies and ash littered the ground.

I huddled behind the turn out into the foyer and lifted the bar. His loud steps echoed as he neared, and I flexed my hands around the metal. I could do this. I was stronger now. It wasn’t like the last time.

His boot thumped into view, and I gritted my teeth and swung up. The pipe smacked into his throat and a loud choking gurgle left his mouth. He dropped to his knees. The bar slid from my fingers as I watched him gurgle on his blood. Red dripped down the corner of his mouth.

My stomach lurched. He was suffocating on his own blood. I pressed my hand to my stomach.

I didn’t think it could get worse, but Imogen’s familiar laugh echoed from somewhere upstairs. I gritted my teeth and turned from the human. A loud slap reached me, and I gritted my teeth, pushing faster until I reached the third level.

I stopped at the top of the stairs and poked my head around the corner. Imogen had four humans with their guns trained onAsher, Jax, and Tobias. She’d forced them to their knees in front of her. Ren lay under chains, hissing and snarling. The ground under him was singed like he’d been using his powers before the silver brought him down.

My chest ached seeing them this way. They looked so pissed.

“Imogen, there is no turning back,” Tobias’s coaxing voice reached me. She set the tip of a sharp dagger to Jax’s chest. “There is no coming back from this. I see inside your head, as much as you try to hide it. You’re hurt.”