I slammed my pistol upside his head and he dropped me, collapsing to his knees.
I landed on my feet with a stagger, my limbs still numb as I was more and more sure I was suffering from a concussion.Follow through! Follow. Through.I had to remind myself as the world twirled around me.
I kicked the wolf on the side of the head. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed—most likely also a member of the Recently Concussed Club.
I flicked my handgun safety off and kept the gun out as I took a deep greedy breath. I could only spare a moment to brace myself before I dug into a pocket and pulled out my cellphone.
My throat squeezed when I saw the cracked screen—I must have landed on it when I fell from the ladder or maybe even when I rolled to avoid getting hit by the truck. I tried to wake it up, but the screen remained black.
No contact with anyone. Don’t know where my team is. What do I do?
I tipped back and forth on my feet, nausea making my stomach flop unpleasantly in my gut—but the ringing noise had almost faded, thankfully.
Reluctantly, I put my cellphone back in my pocket and holstered my gun so I could pull out some surgical gauze to pack my gun wound and staunch the bleeding.
I started to roll the gauze as I stepped into the alleyway, intending to call out to my team.
There was no noise or movement within the alleyway. There was a blob of navy-blue cloth splayed over the edge of the green dumpster. The longer I looked at it, the more I suspected it was a task force uniform shirt.They planted it to leave a scent trail and buy time to get away. I did hear a bang when I was in the other alleyway, but—my thoughts stopped when a silhouette stepped between the streetlight and the mouth of the alleyway.
My eyes focused on the shape, but it took my beleaguered brain a few extra seconds to kick in before I recognized Lady Gisila.
She was approaching the alleyway, and Considine was just a few steps behind her. Both looked in my direction and saw myface.
Run! I’ve got to get away, now!
I convulsively clutched my surgical gauze and darted back around the corner, getting out of their view.
Angling away from the alleyway, I ran across the street—my feet were too heavy to sprint—and darted up another road, my mind struggling to process the best path.
Team location is unknown. I have no method of contacting anyone. I’m shot and injured—not mortally, but if I don’t get a fae potion and some medical attention soon it’s going to be close. Gisila and Considine likely both know what I look like now. I can’t expect to run back to the Cloisters solo…what do I do?
I looked up at the buildings around me as I jogged down the sidewalk, belatedly recognizing them.
I was downtown, just a few blocks away from my apartment.
I better go underground.
It was slayer instinct to retreat and hide in a safehouse when hurt—the scent of blood called out to vampires, even if we poisoned them with it. I didn’t fancy having to face any right now when I could barely put one foot in front of the other.
Home. I’ll go home.
I couldn’t tell if I was being followed, I was too out of it. I stopped just long enough to pack my wound, which hurt so much a groan escaped my control, but I didn’t want blood droplets leading Gisila straight to my apartment—even if she’d seen my face.
Regardless, I’d probably need to move and use a disguise now that my face had been seen—and that was the best-case scenario. Possibly, I’d have to leave Magiford altogether.
If I make it out of this alive.
My wound packed, I made myself keep moving—heading towards my apartment. I looked back multiple times, but I never caught sight of anyone.
It wasn’t until I reached my building that I remembered I didn’t have my apartment key, just my emergency one—which opened the lock I’d installed on my window for emergencies.
Why. Why did I get an apartment on the top floor?I dragged myself up the rickety fire escape stairs, wobbling more and more with each step I took.
I was panting—from pain, and because every step I took felt monumentally difficult—by the time I reached the platform outside my window.
My fingers were clumsy as I struggled with the lock, but eventually it clicked open. My vision grew dark as I climbed in through my window, barely remembering to close and lock the window behind me.
The key slipped through my fingers, which were too numb to hold onto anything, and I knocked into the sofa as I stumbled through my tiny makeshift living room.
