“Are you smoking, right now?” I hissed.
A puff of smoke enveloped me. I turned my head to cough, hoping it wasn’t as loud as it sounded to my ears.
“I know. I know. It’s a bad habit. Bad for me, etcetera, etcetera.”
“Put it out, Brady. What if something sees it?”
He snorted and clicked his flashlight off and on, “And you think they haven’t seen these lights?”
Before I could respond, a pained grunt sounded from the office. Grayson.
Brady and I raced for the door, the cigarette forgotten.
“Let me go in first.” Brady took charge.
I moved aside to let him pass. Adrenaline pumped through me.
“Watch out!” Grayson shouted.
Something flew toward us. I yelped as the invisible force knocked us off our feet. My head hit the cement floor with a loud crack, pain spearing through me. Dots filled my vision as I tried to sit up.
Grayson chanted something. I struggled to my feet, still gripping my knife. Lot of good that did me against an invisible foe. I groaned in pain.
“What happened?” Brady demanded.
Grayson was huddled in a corner, panting. “We missed a rune.”
Brady swore. “You mean you missed a rune. Are you okay?”
“Fine.” He staggered to his feet.
Brady shone his light on him, making him squint. “Well, you’re not bleeding so that’s a good sign.”
“I said I’m fine. I just got knocked down.”
“Do you have the antidote?” I asked.
He held up a small canvas bag. “Let’s go.”
“You sure that’s it.” Brady reached a hand for it.
“Yes. I’ll carry it.” Grayson shoved it into his pocket.
A loud thud echoed in the distance and voices rose. My eyes met Grayson’s. Brady swore.
“Let’s go. Now.” Grayson strode toward the door.
He turned off his flashlight and went first, motioning us to follow. My heart pounded in my ears. I went after him, Brady right behind me.
Darkness swallowed us. The footsteps grew closer.
“Let’s go!” Grayson urged.
I ignored the pain in my head and pushed myself forward. Brady ran beside me, the sound of his clothes swishing loudly. Behind us, voices roared followed by a clash of noises. Most of them definitely not human.
Shuddering, I quickened my pace. The prisoners.
I had to get back to Javi.
“They can see us in the dark, Gray. We’re better off with our lights on,” Brady yelled.
Their flashlights clicked on, lighting up the dark floor as we ran.
A gun fired. I threw myself down, arms covering my head. Grayson hauled me on my feet, “Get up. It was me. We have a follower.”
My heart leapt into my throat as I rushed forward. I didn’t dare look back. Howling filled my ears and made my skin crawl.
“Hurry,” Grayson urged.
I was hurrying. My feet were numb from the continual pounding against the floor and my teeth chattered in my head. I was going to feel it the next day, but I didn’t stop or slow.
Almost there.
Hold on, Javi.
Brady’s light went out. I slammed into him.
“Keep going.” Grayson shoved us forward.
My heavy breath echoed in my ears as I followed Brady. We weren’t far now. I tripped over something and fell to the ground. Pain shot up my arms.
Grayson’s light darted to me. A body lay beside mine. I jumped to my feet and stumbled back.
“The fairy.” Grayson swore.
Her dark eyes stared back at us, a deep red gash on her pale neck. In her curled hand she held a chain against her chest.
Grayson nudged her hand open with the end of his gun. It opened to reveal a bare chain.
My medallion was gone.
“Okay. She’s dead. We have to go.” Brady hissed from up ahead.
Grayson motioned me forward. I started running, fear spreading through me.
I couldn’t shake the image of her out of my mind. Sweat coated my skin as we made it back to the metal door that would lead us down the hall. Past the vampire and to Javi.
Brady spread his hand against the reader again and led us through. We were down to Grayson’s flashlight. He shone it ahead as we slowed.
“They can’t follow us in here, right?” I asked the others.
“Hopefully not,” Grayson answered.
I sucked in a deep breath and tried to steady my erratic heartbeats. We made it. We just had to get to Javi.
A noise echoed in front of us and a light darted across our faces.
“Rose?” a familiar voice called.
Grayson’s light revealed her face. Shiloh.
She stood next to Javi in the same cell we’d left him in. He was sprawled on the floor, his eyes staring up. No.
I raced for them and dropped to my knees beside him.
“He’s okay. He’s okay. Sleeping spell. To slow the poison,” Shiloh explained.
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you. How did you find him?”
She nodded toward her backpack. “A linking spell. I used his beer bottle.”
“I could use a drink right now,” Brady muttered.
Grayson set down his light to open the canvas bag. He pulled out a small vial.
Shiloh’s eyes widened. “The antidote? Oh, thank God.” Her voice cracked.
I squeezed her hand, tears filling my own eyes.
“We still have to figure out a way to make it back to the portal. Or take our chances here for the night.” Grayson spoke as he opened the vial and poured it into Javi’s gaping mouth.
My eyes snapped toward his silhouette. “What? We can’t stay here. There are murderous monsters loose.”
“We might be safe on this side,” he argued.
“Might be? That’s reassuring,” I grunted.
“If we go back out there, there’s a greater chance we’ll be caught by the prisoners.”
“Hate to admit it, but Gray is right. I’d take our chances in here. Wouldn’t be the first time I had to sleep it off in a cell,” Brady snorted.
I watched Javi’s unmoving form, desperate for a sign. Shiloh laid a hand on his chest, the dim light shone on her worried face.
“You were brave to come after us. Alone.” I glanced at her.
Her eyes met mine. “You were brave first. I was planning to come with Brady, but he didn’t wait for me to get ready.” Her gaze slid to him.
“Uh, yeah, because it would have taken
