Page 16

Mason

Back in human form,I pulled the vent grate closed behind us and followed Jennifer as she crawled towards the pitch black darkness of the ventilation duct. My heart was racing. We would’ve been caught if it hadn’t been for that half a second window of opportunity when he’d turned his back tous.

We stoppedand activated small headlamps that just barely illuminated the passage ahead. Couldn't take any chances with light leaks that might give usaway.

“Ready?”Jennifer whispered over hershoulder.

“Let’s fucking do it,”I said, and we made our way forwards, slowly andsilently.

The ventilation systemwas a maze that snaked its way throughout the entire house, and we’d memorized the path we needed to take to get to our destination. Still, despite the preparation, it was a little nerve-wracking to move only by memory, never having actually been here before. Was there someone walking in the hallway next to us or below us, just a few feet away? Were we being quiet enough? Jennifer and I had always been skilled at moving quickly and quietly, ever since we were kids. We’d outran and escaped the bullies in our apartment building enough times to the point where they stopped trying to catch us. We’d tested our abilities plenty of times during our little heists. Despite all that, it never got any lessexhilarating.

Jenniferand I should’ve given this up a long time ago. Maybe that was why wehadn’t.

Our lights gleamedoff of the sheet metal as glowing specks of dust drifted in front of my eyes like fireflies. We both kept our ears shifted to wolf form so that it’d be easier to pick up any signs of detection. Even though we were beneath the first floor, I could still hear the party up on the floor above us, a constant rhythm of dull thudding as people moved around. Slowly, it grew quieter as we moved away from the ballroomarea.

After five minutesof crawling we reached what first looked like a dead end, but was actually where the ventilation shifted ninety degrees vertically, taking us up into the ceiling of the first floor where we’d eventually be above our destination. Almostthere.

Jennifer stoodup straight in the vertical shaft and raised her right foot. I crawled forward and secured her foot on my right shoulder, holding her ankle tightly with my hand. We paused for a moment,listening.

“Coast is clear,”I said. “I don’t hearanyone.”

“Yeah,”she replied, and boosted herself up so she was standing on both my shoulders. I brought my knees forward and got to my feet, lifting her up into the passageway. She then grabbed the edge of the horizontal vent above us and hauled herselfup.

Her voice drifted back downto me. “Do you need therope?”

Itilted my head back.The cross vent was about six feet up, not too far. I could make the jump, but I had to be careful to do it with as little movement as possible to not give usaway.

“Ican do it,”Isaid.

The space was cramped.I didn’t have enough room to swing my arms for extra jump momentum. I’d need to have them already extended above me, like a diver jumping into a pool, and make the jump that way. I rubbed my hands together, took a deep breath, and bent my knees until they touched metal. Then, with a sharp exhale, my feet left theground.

Shit!Notenough!

My fingers hookedthe edge but immediately began to slip. I was going tofall!

My right handgave way first, and the left just a half second later. I must’ve actually been hovering in the air for a split second before Jennifer’s hands shot out and grabbed my wrist. My body swung forward, and I stopped myself from impacting against the side of the vent with my free hand. A low, hollowdongvibrated through the vent. I cringed. Not as bad as it could’ve been, butstill.

Jennifer pulledme up and I hooked the ledge and hauled myself the rest of the way. She gave me alook.

“Thanks,”I toldher.

“Next time, use the rope,”she said, and keptcrawling.

As we moved along,my mind wandered back to the man I’d seen standing on the balcony. The idea of who he was—a spoiled, rich brat with absolutely no worries in life except for how much money was left in his bank account—pissed me off. Standing up there, moping around with his expensive whiskey and his stupid suit. Dammit. I had no idea who he was and I hatedhim.

But the thingI hated the most about him was how attractive he was. No, how attractiveIfound him. That was on me. I could’ve just put him completely out of my mind, but his handsome face stuck there, refusing to leave, teasing me. I wanted a better look at him. I wanted to see his face again so that I could pick out some flaw and forget abouthim.

He’s one ofthem.What else is there tofind?

For some reason,that wasn’t enough to make me forget abouthim.

Jennifer stopped,and I nearly rammed my face into her heels. She looked over her shoulder at me and pointed at the floor.Here.

Inodded.

She crawled forwarda few more feet, revealing a ventilation panel that was rimmed with light leaking through from the room below. She turned herself around at the opposite side of the panel, and we both peered down through the grating to see a creamy marble floor. I closed my eyes and shifted out my wolf’snose.

Smelled good,sounded good. I could hear people talking outside, but the room was empty. I nodded to Jennifer, and we removed the panel and pushed it off. Light filled the duct, and Jennifer clicked off her headlamp. She turned herself around again, and then slid forward and slipped down, dropping into the room. I magnetically secured a line to the vent opening and then followed afterher.