Page 120 of Moonlight Hearts

“We’ll leave them here.”

Cecil’s men.Caecilius’s men.Dread settled in my belly.“How did they get up here?Where’s—”

“Jules is fine,” Echo said.“Peiras, the twin, got him under his spell.He’s downstairs.Amory, you need to get dressed now, please.”

“Okay, but—”

Echo turned to the Sandman.“Keep watch.Drop anyone who comes out of the elevator.”

“Done.”

He walked into the apartment, took my forearm, and pulled me with him.I went around the Brit though Echo stepped over him.

“I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“I know that, but I don’t have time for lengthy explanations.Maybe in the car, if you hurry.Please hurry, Amory.”He looked around, but his eyes seemed like they weren’t really seeing anything.“I need to go get the keys.”

“The keys?”

He pointed at the stairs.“Get dressed.Now.If it helps, Cecil has one more witch blade.Let’s not give him an opening to use it.”

That did it.I rushed up the stairs to get changed.I made it all the way to putting on my socks before the doubt crept in, the realization that I was making a huge, stupid mistake here.My phone was just in the bedroom though.

“Don’t text him,” Echo hollered up from downstairs.“He’d come right back here, and that would be bad for the Lords Hawthorne.”

I went to the balcony, where I could look down at Echo, whoever he was.“How do you know that?”

He shrugged.“I’m a Cassandrian.Like Roland.Just more powerful and focused on predicting things.Now, chop-chop.I’m trying to help you here, but you have to help me out with that.”

I pressed my lips together.“Roland can read minds.”

“It’s not that simple, but yes.I can’t, not really, but I’m rather good when it’s about a situation I’ve got myself involved in, such as this one.”He held up a key and wiggled it.“Let’s go to the other apartment.”

“You mean 19B?I’ve never seen who lives there.”

Echo sighed.“No one lives there anymore.Get your stuff, and I’ll explain.”His brow furrowed.“Look, in another reality… Nothing is ever a straight line if you’re like me.In another reality, we’re already friends.We are in pretty much all the realities, even the one where Elias is your brother.”

“What?!”

“My point is, get moving.”He pointed.“The Sandman owed me a favor, and that runs out after I get you out of here safe and sound.”

“What did the Brit want with me?”

Echo shrugged.“He’s Cecil’s lawyer.He’s a shark and sometimes a henchman.They were trying to do this the nice way, get you to move and play house with Peiras for a while so that Cecil could sweep in and cure the Black Shuck of his broken heart.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.Soyer wouldn’t just let me go, not like that.”

Echo nodded.“And you have his resistance to all supernatural thrall.Which is why this would have escalated and ended badly.”He cocked his head as if he were listening for something I couldn’t hear.“Phone, watch, now.”

I made a decision, but whether it was wise or even just good, I didn't know.I decided to trust Echo, and I hoped it wouldn’t hurt Soyer in the end.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ihadmyphoneand my watch, and I followed Echo down the hallway and to the other apartment with the Sandman bringing up the rear.

“Where’s Gao?”I asked him.

“Oh, you remember her!She’ll be so excited.To tell you the truth, Echo said we’d best not bring her.A shame, but you don’t argue with Echo.”