Page 143

It lit up under his hand.

The doors slid open.

He lurched through, slamming his palm on the panel inside the elevator. He turned in time to see—

“Oh my god,” he breathed.

Seth was suspended in midair, arms outstretched, fire leaking from his hands and burning around him. His cape swirled behind him, flaming sparks cascading.

He looked over his shoulder directly at Nick.

He smiled.

And then he exploded.

Nick was knocked back by the concussive blast of air that made it through the elevator doors before they closed. His head hit the wall behind him, and he groaned, covering his face as a wall of fire roared toward—

The doors closed.

The elevator car shook.

But then began to ascend.

He was running down the hallway following exit signs when he heard shouts coming from somewhere ahead of him, flashlight beams bouncing along the floor. He found an unlocked door and managed to get inside a small office before whoever it was rounded the corner. He didn’t close the door all the way, peering through the crack. A group of security guards ran by, guns drawn.

The alarms blared overhead.

Once he was sure the security guards were gone, Nick opened the door and stepped back out into the hallway. He’d only managed to take a few steps before a hand grabbed his hoodie and jerked him around.

He was face-to-face with Brett.

“You,” Brett said, eyes wide. “What the hell is going on?”

“Shadow Star,” Nick spat. “Pyro Storm. They’re fighting somewhere in the building.”

“Where’s Owen? Why isn’t he with you?”

“We got separated trying to get out of here. I don’t know where he is!”

Brett shook him. “Did you have anything to do with this?”

“No, man! I’m a kid. I didn’t doanything.I just wanna leave!”

“Fine,” Brett spat. “But if you see Owen, you tell him I’m not going to get fired over this. I swear, if his dad finds out that I—”

The ground shook beneath their feet. Brett’s grip on Nick fell away as he stumbled back. “What the hell was that?”

Nick didn’t know, but he didn’t think it was a good idea to stay and find out. “I’m gonna go, if that’s all right with you.”

But Brett had already turned away from him.

Nick ran again.

He heard Brett shout something after him, but it was lost to the pounding in his head.

He jumped over the turnstile, almost tripping and falling flat on his face. He managed to stay upright, and hit the door they’d come in, praying it wasn’t locked.

It wasn’t.