NO. NO. NO.
Connor caught me as I started for the steps. "You can't go down there."
I fought to shake him off, not bothering to be gentle. "We can't leave them there."
Connor's grip didn't budge. "What will we do if he catches us too? There will be no one to save them then."
His words pierced my blind panic. He was right.
I couldn't lose my head. We had to be smart. Nathan and Makoto were counting on us.
I took a deep breath and then another. "Okay, you're right."
He didn't release me, though his grip wasn't as tight. "Can you get a hold of Liam?"
"He wasn't answering earlier, but I'll try again."
Connor glanced at my apartment door. "We should go back inside. There are powerful wards on your apartment that will make it difficult to use his shadow trick to step inside. They'll offer some protection."
Wards? I didn't know anything about wards.
Perhaps Inara and Lowen were responsible. If so, I owed them big after this.
With one last lingering look at the spot where Nathan and Makoto had been swallowed by the shadow ball, I followed Connor inside. I shut the door and threw the lock, adding the deadbolt for good measure.
Next, I grabbed my phone from the pocket I'd shoved it in when I tore out of my bedroom.
I paced the floor in front of my couch as I waited for Liam to pick up, Connor watching me. The phone rang, over and over again.
No answer. Again.
I ended the call, then hit redial.
Why wasn’t he answering?
By the third time I hit redial, I had to concede that something had gone wrong with Callie. When the phone turned over to voice mail, I left a message.
"Something has happened. Call me as soon as you get this." I hesitated. There was a very real possibility I wasn't going to make it out of here. I didn't want those to be the last words I said to him. "Liam—I love you. Try not to forget that, whatever happens."
I hit end call, telling Connor. "I don't want to talk about what I just said."
If I didn't think about it, maybe I could pretend I hadn't used such sappy words in a life or death situation.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Connor assured me. A second passed. "But if I did, I'd say I was glad Liam had someone like you. He doesn't care for many, but I can tell you're different."
"I thought I said not to say anything." I stopped pacing to face him.
As much as I pretended irritation, his assurance made me feel slightly better.
It didn’t take long for worry to set back in. Daybreak wasn't far off. With it, I'd be defenseless. Connor would be on his own then and our enemies weren't hampered by the sun.
Whatever wards my home had, I somehow doubted they'd last the hours until night fell.
A pounding at my door made me jump and stop in mid stride.
Connor and I traded a look.
Awful nice of our enemy to announce his presence with a knock.
