No wonder Kodi said avoid this floor at all costs, it’s decked out like a haunted house. What better way to see if people are trigger happy and will shoot innocent bystanders than by putting them on edge and making shit jump out at them?
“I think I’ll take being crushed to death over exploring, thanks.”
He shudders, in full agreement, and turns to the door, but it won’t budge. “The fuck?” He shoves again, but gets nowhere. Jaw clenched tight, he grabs a leather hair band out of his pocket and pulls his mass of white-blonde hair up into a small bun, getting it out of his face. “The knob isn’t even turning; we’re locked in.”
A sharp sense of foreboding stabs me in the gut, and I settle a hand over the emergency button in my pocket.Malcolm knows how to tap into security systems. It’s the first time I’ve been separated from the guys, and there’s a bunch of chaos going on. It would be the perfect time to make his move.
Releasing a shaky breath, Stone’s words replay through my head. I focus on Torin, the thin braids on the side of his head leading up to his bun, the wisps that escape the tie. The sounds of footsteps pounding on the stairwell on the other side of the door. The cooling sweat matting my shirt uncomfortably to my body.
I ground myself in the moment before my mind spirals out of control, lay out the facts, and come up with a plan. I can panic later when it’s safe, but for now? We have one goal; get outside to where my mates are waiting.
“Do you know a dragon named Malcolm? Er, I guess he goes by Mason now.” Torin scrunches his face up in confusion, but doesn’t question my random blurting, shaking his head. “Okay then, any guy we come across with blonde hair and green eyes? Assume he’ll murder you at the first opportunity and kidnap me before you can even blink. You see anyone that fits that description, werun, don’t engage.”
His entire body seems to expand, a low growl surrounding me as his features darken. “You’re thinking this isn’t part of the training exercise anymore.” It’s not a question, more of a harsh statement.
Reluctantly, I nod. “Full disclosure, I’m paranoid and overanalyze things, but it’s for good reason. It’s entirely possible that all of this is going exactly as Kodiak planned, but on the chance it’s not? I’d rather you have a heads up that this might have just switched to a real security job, and you shouldn’t expect anyone to pull punches. I’m notsure,but the locked door has me concerned, to put it mildly.”
He nods, grabbing my upper arm and pulling me into his side. “Plan still stands. I’ll get you to Kodiak safely, whatever it takes, but I appreciate the warning. Let's get the hell out of here.”
We both look at the shadowy hallway beckoning us forward, all dark, curtain-lined walls and smoke that must be coming from a fog machine somewhere. Gripping the back of Torin’s shirt to anchor myself as he takes the first step, I follow him into the haunted labyrinth.
“If we’re trying to get outside, is leaving the door behind really a good idea?”
His gaze is constantly swiveling, assessing our surroundings. “I’ve known Rina a long time. She let it slip once when she picked up on my shitty mood that dragons don’t have the same version of heightened senses as the rest of us shifters. If it’s a dragon hunting you, we don’t have to worry about him sniffing you out or listening for your rapid heartbeat. As long as we keep your fear in check, if we can’t find another exit, we can hide until he clears this room and moves on to search a different floor.”
My stomach flips.Note to self, don’t go sharing secrets with Carina.
A screeching, animatronic bat nearly pegs Torin in the face, both of us stumbling back. To his credit, he remained quiet, reflexes kicking in and batting the thing out of the air, leaving a sparking, twitching robot on the ground.
I, on the other hand, yelp and nearly fall on my ass.
“It’s alright,” he consoles, continuing forward, but he can’t hide his pulse pounding in his neck and rapidly fluttering against his skin. “Everything here is set up to jump-scare people. Always expect that something is about to pop out, and it loses the element of surprise.”
“Easier said than done,” I grumble, but give it my best effort.
When the living clown bursts out of the curtain wielding a kitchen knife, my scream freezes in my throat, shaken loose when the entire building rocks beneath our feet with a massive jolt. Torin tackles the horrifying creature to the ground, wrestling the knife away and yanking off the man’s mask. As the volunteer lies on the ground cackling, thunder cracks loud enough to make me wince, vibrating through the building and into my bones.
Torin grunts, leaving the volunteer on the floor and tugging me along behind him. “Sounds like a hell of a storm breaking loose out there.”
Not two minutes later, the power cuts out.
The music dies, leaving an ominous silence in its wake. The entire room was dark before, but now? I can’t even see my hand in front of my face.
Deep breaths, Amara.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Torin settles a hand on my shoulder and I jump. He pulls back instantly before thinking better of it and replacing his hand. “Forgive me, Ms. Garrison, but we can’t risk getting separated.”
The formal shift in his tone helps give me pause, and Stone’s voice whispers in my ears.Find something to focus on. Stop worrying about everything that could go wrong and focus on what you can control.
Faint shouting comes from the direction of the stairwell, and both of us stiffen when the word ‘fire’ makes its way beneath the crack of the door. Torin begins tearing at the curtains on the walls, and three hallways later, we finally unveil a window.
“Thank fuck,” Torin breathes. With his elbow, he bashes out the small pane of glass. Turning to me, he shatters all of my hopes by saying, “Alright, I’ll hold you steady while you get your wings out, then you fly down. No way in hell can I squeeze through this window, so I’m going to have to backtrack and bust down the door so I can take the stairs.”
Absolutely hating to divulge my weaknesses to a relative stranger, I remind myself that I really don’t have any other options. Still, I have to clear my throat twice before I can force the words out.
“I... can’t shift.”
He looks at me in horror. “What? Seriously?” When I give a terse nod, he curses. “Do you have an ability?”
