Page 65 of Protector Unmatched

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Pearce stopped in front of an empty lot toward the end of an alley. They’d parked the car two blocks away in a small parking garage and walked for only a few minutes.

“We’re here,” Pearce said, and glanced around.

Daphne turned toward the other side of the alley, where several one-story buildings that looked like abandoned warehouses and workshops sat in darkness.

“Which one is it?”

Pearce put his hands on her shoulder and turned her back to face the empty lot that was strewn with tumbleweeds and trash. “This one.”

She shook her head and stepped back, feeling uncomfortable going any closer. As if something bad was emanating from it.

“What you feel is natural,” Pearce said, and clasped her hand.

“How would you know what I feel?”

“It’s the wards that surround our compound that make a human want to turn away from it. It helps us keep our location secret.”

Daphne shook her head and pointed toward the empty lot. “But there’s nothing here. Is it underground?”

Pearce smiled. “Come.”

He stepped closer and left the cobblestone pavement of the alley, setting a foot on the abandoned lot. Then he reached out a hand and seemed to touch something. A moment later, it looked like he was gripping a handle, and despite the darkness, Daphne realized that whatever he was touching wasn’t visible.

Hinges creaked, and Pearce pushed something heavy away from him. Suddenly, a faint sliver of light appeared. The sliver grew broader as Pearce continued to push. A foyer opened up in front of them, where before, there’d been nothing.

Her breath hitched, and her pulse raced.

“Quickly, go inside,” Pearce demanded, and ushered her in. He followed her, and she heard the closing of a door.

Daphne whirled around. The alley was gone. In its place was a heavy oak door with iron ornaments.

“Welcome to my home.”

“But… how?” She looked around. They were inside a small foyer with one other door. There was a ceiling, from which a single light hung to illuminate the place. Next to the second door was a keypad. Pearce typed in a code, and a faint beep sounded.

He pushed the second door open and looked over his shoulder. “The building is invisible to anybody but a Stealth Guardian. It ensures that we’re safe from detection.” He tugged at her hand and pulled her through the door into a hallway.

Flabbergasted, she let him lead her inside. The hallway was made of thick stone walls, as were the floor and the ceiling. Along the walls there were embellishments, too, carved symbols that seemed to repeat.

“Are those runes?” she asked.

“Yes, they are part of the magic that keeps this place hidden.”

“This is amazing. I can’t believe this exists, and nobody’s ever found it.”

He smiled at her. “It’s been here for a very long time, long before Baltimore was built.”

“But—”

Her question was interrupted by a man who charged around the corner. She’d seen him before. When the man saw them, he came to an abrupt stop.

“Hey, Grayson,” Pearce said. “What’s going on?”

Grayson gave her a stunned look, then asked Pearce, “You think that’s wise?”

Apparently Pearce knew what Grayson was referring to, and she suspected it had something to do with her, because Pearce said tightly, “My business.”