Ah—behind the pillar.
“Follow me, Sparkles. I’ll get you ladies somewhere comfy, then go back for D-man.”
Theo pushes the small of my back. That’s the opposite of keeping hold of my jacket. Bad girl. “No, you keep going. I’ll grab him,” she gasps.
I spin around and growl, wishing I had a free hand to grab the scruff of her neck.“Think again, Princess.”
“Max! He’s right fucking there—and obviously disoriented. You take Aurora, I’ll be right behind you.”
Argh! My doggie-senses are telling me that danger is heading straight for us in a couple of seconds. Definitely not enough time to keep arguing. “GO!” I scream.
As Theo leaps forward towards Donovan, I jump to one side with my arms full of teenage Drakeward. She yells in pain, but the shout is drowned out as a chandelier crashes to the ground where we were just standing.
Looking up, I see the swish of Theo’s skirt as she disappears into the smoke.
Come on, dog-vision.
Squinting hard, I just manage to make out the image of her grabbing hold of Donovan. Good girl, now just bring him back with you.
In my arms, the kid is coughing like fuck. Gods, fumes are pouring out of an air vent above us. Gotta move.
Gotta—shit.
Cosmo’s sister has gone still, and I don’t hear her heartbeat.
I have to do something, like now.
“THEO!” I scream her name across the room. Fuck, she’ll never hear me.
Wait! Brain text!
—Taking the kid out of here. Follow this wall, and it will lead you to double doors. We can get into the library and then gothrough the emergency exit—I manage to think this all to her, and carry the girl around another mob at the same time.
—Got it. Get Aurora to safety, Max. I’ll be OK with Donovan—
I hate leaving her, but I don’t know if Cosmo’s sis is going to make it if I don’t start CPR in the next few.
And that’s not going to happen successfully in the middle of a riot.
—Don’t let me down, Sparkles—At least she’s with Dono.
I keep moving, dodging the flying debris. It feels like hours, but it’s only seconds until the library doors come into sight.
Thank fuck for that!
Kicking them open, I collapse through, just as a huge beam comes crashing down, turning the entrance-way to rubble. A pain stabs my chest. I don’t think it’s physical.
“Keep her safe.”That inner voice is pissed.
I was doing such a good job, but now I’m fucking up.
“Hive, hive, hive, hive, staying alive, staying alive,” I sing in time with the compressions I’m doing on Aurora. It would be real nice to have Theo’s telepathy right now. I’d tell Cosmo to come do CPR on his sister, then set Lexi on the task of finding Theo and Donovan.
“Hive, hive, hive, hive, staying alive, staying alive.”
Ooh, and I’d totally zap old Ludo’s brain as well and get him to come pick us all up.
Sadly, that’s not happening.
