“Why did you climb into my bag?” I scold her. “This isn’t—”
A crack like a gunshot erupts outside. Ethel startles and scrambles out of my arms, her claws digging into my jacket. She ping-pongs around the van in a thunder of paws and tearing sounds, managing to turn on the hazard lights and an overhead light.
“Ow! Ethel, stop!”
A metallic hiss from outside rises above the chaos, and I spin to see glittering debris catch the moonlight as it falls from what must be thepenthouse. The shards rain down on the pavement in a wave of crashes and tinkling, like a wind chime in a hurricane.
“Oh my God.”
Leaving Ethel clinging to the ceiling like a fuzzy chandelier, I whip open the rear doors and scramble out.
High above, shouts carry into the night. Purple light bursts through the shattered window, casting an eerie glow over the dark sky.
Fear floods my veins. Do I go up there?
The image of Natalie lying injured flashes across my mind’s eye—collapsed on the floor, bleeding out with glass in her side, everyone else too busy to help.
I can’t leave. Not when Natalie might need me.
“I’m going,” I say. “Ethel, stay here—”
She’s no longer latched to the ceiling. And I left the van door ajar.
“Dammit!”
A white blur darts toward the building, and as a fleeing couple pushes open the glass door, she slips between them and into the lobby.
“Jesus Christ…” I sprint after her, losing sight of her as a stream of people floods out the stairwell.
I push through everyone. Footsteps echo off the marble floors, and distant rumbling prickles my eardrums.
“Anyone see a cat?” I ask the flowing crowd, my voice high with panic.
“It just ran past,” an older man says as he hurries by. “Don’t go up there though—something’s happening. We called the police.”
“Thanks,” I say, having zero intention of listening to his advice.
When there’s a gap in the flow of people, I burst through the stairwell door to find Ethel sitting primly on the third step, grooming her paw.
“If you get us killed, I’m never forgiving you,” I growl, scooping her up. I stuff her into my jacket and zip it up so only her head pokes out. “Now stay, and don’t scratch me.”
I hesitate, debating whether to take the stairs. I would probably die if I tried to climb all the way to the penthouse, so I race back through the lobby to the elevator.
When the doors open, more terrified people stream past, warning me not to go up there. I thank them and get in anyway. My hands are sweating as I push the button to the top floor.
The elevator glides upward, maddeningly smooth and unhurried while my insides twist with visions of Natalie bleeding out on some fancy carpet. Ethel’s purr rumbles against my chest like she’s enjoying this adventure too much.
Another crash sounds. The elevator shudders. The lights flicker, and for a terrifying moment, I think I’m going to be trapped in this metal box while Natalie and Sky fight for their lives beyond it.
But the elevator continues, and I clench my fists, ready for whatever awaits. God, I wish this gauntlet gave me powers beyond just a good punch.
The doors open with a cheerful ding, and I blink away a cloud of dust. My breath hitches. Ethel stops purring, her head swiveling.
The penthouse door has been blown off its hinges and lies in splinters across the hallway. Cool night air rushes past me, carrying the scent of smoke. My hair lifts from my shoulders like I’ve walked into a thundercloud.
I step over the mangled door, ears ringing. Marble countertops are shattered. A light fixture lies in fragments. Furniture has been ripped apart and flung about the room. The opposite wall of floor-to-ceiling windows is gone, leaving jagged glass around a gaping hole to the night beyond.
My stomach lurches at the sight of Sophia standing with her back to the open, her white-blonde hair whipping around her face. She’s wearing a blue silk robe, red cuts oozing all over her pale skin. But she’s holding strong, her teeth gritted and her eyes blazing purple.
