Page 78 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal

I slept hard.Until the storm passed andsomethingwoke me up.

Chapter Twenty

Myeyesshotopen.I stared at the dark ceiling, ears straining for some sound or movement that would explain why my heart was racing.There was nothing, not even a soft creak or pop from the building adjusting to nighttime temperatures.

I counted the seconds, hoping my uneasiness would pass.Getting out of bed to investigate the scary silence seemed like the worst idea ever, so I tried to blame the spike in adrenaline on a bad dream.Unfortunately, my brain wouldn’t be gaslighted.Something was out there.Cowering in bed wouldn’t make it go away; it would make me an easier victim.

I’d slept in my clothes.It only took a few seconds to pull on my socks and shoes and creep toward my door.This could still be simple paranoia.If Thordis was passed out on the couch, it would mean she didn’t sense anything threatening nearby.

Would Thordis consider Canyon a threat?He was the most likely person to hunt me down.

Unless Deagan was wrong about Satine being thwarted by my letter.

Barely breathing, I reached for the doorknob, turned it, then silently cracked open the door.

The couch was empty.The whole living area was too.

Shit, shit, shit.

I padded across the carpet, needing to check on Carrie.Her door creaked when I opened it, but she was still in bed, snoring off the four beers she’d drunk.

Heart thumping in my ears, I walked to the front door and put my eye to the peephole.Nothing lay between my apartment and the boys’.

I pulled back.Maybe that was the explanation.Maybe Thordis had sneaked off to be with John.I doubted John would tell her to get lost if she appeared in his room.I mean, if I were him, I wouldn’t turn her down.

Opening my door, I slipped outside, almost believing I’d solved the mystery.

Humidity made the air feel heavy.Enough time had passed since the storm moved through that there wasn’t a rumble of thunder or flicker of lightning.The breezeway was just as we’d left it.I walked to the decorated railing, peered down, then bit my bottom lip when a fresh wave of anxiety squeezed my chest.

I’d almost died there two months ago,wouldhave if Eli hadn’t used his magic to instantly grow a bush that broke my fall.

Battering back my fear, I scanned the night for the elemental.I didn’t see him or Thordis.

She’s with John, I told myself.

I moved toward his apartment and tried to turn the knob.Locked.I couldn’t remember if that was normal or not.Carrie and I had a spare key, but I don’t think we’d ever had to use it.

Whether John was alone or not, I didn’t want to wake him and Alex.They needed to stay inside.

I glanced at the door to my apartment, trying to convince myself to go back in, but I didn’t step toward it or toward the stairs.

Damn it, I couldn’t just remain there frozen in place.I needed to investigate, confirm that I was overreacting, then go back to bed.

Grabbing hold of my frustration, I used it to propel myselfsilentlydown the steps.

I reached the second floor.No bogeyman jumped me.

I continued down, listening and looking for anything that might be a threat.It wasn’t until I reached the bottom of the staircase that I sighted two dark figures in the shadows.

I stopped abruptly, hand gripping the rail.

“Something’s here.”Thordis’s voice barely reached my ears.Still, it raised chill bumps on my skin.My gaze swept over my surroundings, the vehicles filling every parking space, the two buildings across from mine, the shadows beneath my stairwell.A single streetlight fought against the dark, but it wasn’t strong enough for my human eyes to make out any details.My instinct, my sixth sense, my general shitty luck told me Thordis was right.Something was out there.

“Kennedy,” Eli said.His tone indicated he’d just noticed me, my presence finally sinking through the concrete beneath my feet and traveling to him through the earth.

Thordis’s head whipped around.“Go back to the apartment.”

I didn’t release my grip on the rail.I needed to know what we were facing, whowe were facing.