I plunged into the dark smoke and hit my shoulder on something solid—a shelf. Metal and glass shattered on the floor. I threw my arm over my mouth, trying to breathe.
Visibility narrowed down and down. Glimpses of Lula, her hair, flashes of her pale skin blurred with another woman’s face. A woman with sharpened teeth danced beside me, sandpaper eyes, her laughter fuel to the fire, cruel and delighted.
The storage room became a tunnel, and that tunnel closed in on me, humming, ringing, the sounds growing softer.
The woman’s voice crooned in my ear. “Die old mortal, die new flesh. Your bones will be my key.”
A string of popping explosions rang out from the far side of the building, like someone had set off fireworks.
Where was Lula?
There should be sprinklers on the ceiling. There should be a fire department. There should be alarms.
Unless this was planned.
Unless this was sparked by magic—
—“Your bones will be my key.”—
Unless this was a trap, one Lu had charged headlong into without even a backward glance.
I was really reeling now, walls of smoke pressing in, the light at the end of that long, long tunnel fading.
My feet moved, but I couldn’t feel them anymore, not even the pain in my ankle. The world herked and jerked and something clipped my knees. I folded like a wet rag.
A strong hand caught my elbow. I couldn’t see who it was, because I couldn’t see.
“Here. Now.” The voice was a growl—Hado.
Lu. Where was Lu?
I pulled against Hado’s grip, but the smoke had done its job on me and Hado was strong. He forced me to the left, and then, when I thought he was taking us even further into the burning building, there was a square of light ahead that grew larger and larger.
Just before I staggered out of the storage unit, the sprinklers kicked on, water rushing from above.
I tried to fight my way free, but Hado tightened his grip. I was forced by the moon’s shadow, away from the flames, away from the smoke, away from the building, away from Lu.
“Lu,” I gasped, with what little air I had. I coughed until I couldn’t breathe. “Lu’s. In. There.”
Hado steered me mercilessly to the van.
Lawrence trotted over, and between the two of them, they got me where they wanted. Lawrence handed me a wet washcloth. “Over your mouth. It will help.”
I slapped it over my mouth and pivoted to get back to the unit. “Lu.”
“Here,” she said, behind me.
My heart flopped and relief hit me so hard, that if Hado wasn’t still holding my arm, I’d have been on the ground.
I reached for her and she stepped into me, her arms going around my waist. Her face was covered in dirt, or maybe just soot. She held on tight. I didn’t know which of us was shivering.
“I thought…” Those two words were enough to rust up my lungs. I sipped air to oil them but that set off another harsh coughing fit.
“I’m okay,” she said, rubbing my back. “You shouldn’t have gone in there, Brogan. Shouldn’t have come after me.”
“You—”
“I’m fast. A hell of a lot faster than you. I was in and out of the building almost before you got there.”
