Page 22 of Spears and Shadows (Defenders of the Light)
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Nora scurriedthrough the hallways of the Sanctuary, peering into every doorway she passed, hoping to spot Drew. She realized belatedly that she should have asked Adam where Drew was before shoving him in the fountain, but she didn’t want to ruin her moment of triumph by going back and asking for directions. She also hadn’t expected how distracted she would be by the way Adam’s wet hair clung to his throat. It turned out that the Sanctuary was a labyrinth of identical hallways, and at this point, she was unsure if she could find her way back to Adam if she tried.
Nora peeked into another room and huffed in annoyance when she found it, too, was deserted. She moved on to the next, feeling a pang of disappointment that she could not slow down and explore the beautiful building. There was no time to linger if the plan that had begun to take form in her mind was going to work. Still, her eyes snagged on a few of the remarkable paintings adorning the walls before she poked her head around the corner to check the next room.
It was another white stone monstrosity, this one filled with low couches and plush rugs layered over one another in a rich tapestry. Nora spotted Drew, looking as out of place as possible, seated on one of the low couches, still wearing his scrubs and lab coat.
As soon as he noticed her, he jumped up from his seat, crossed the room in three long strides, and caught her up in a giant bear hug. Nora closed her eyes and let her head rest on his broad torso for just a moment. The hair of his chest tickled her cheek where it poked out of the slight V in his scrubs, and she took in the familiar scent of citrus laundry soap and the faint tinge of antiseptic that always clung to Drew after a shift at the hospital. With all the chaos that had erupted in her life, this was a piece of solid ground.
Remembering the turmoil that had brought her here, she stepped backwards out of his embrace. Drew left his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to examine her from head to toe.
“How are you feeling?” he questioned, continuing his scrutiny of her. “Any dizziness? Pain? Headache?”
Nora cocked her head.
“I feel…great actually,” she answered truthfully. “Which is good, because we need to get out of here.”
Drew’s thick brows snapped together in concern. “Why? Did something happen?”
“Did something happen? What happened is that I’ve been given the same explanation you have, and it’s certifiably insane!”
“You mean you don’t believe them?” Drew asked with a tilt of his head.
Nora released a heavy sigh from between pursed lips. “After all that I’ve seen, I don’t think I have a choice to believe them about the Shadows and the Light. But it seems like the type of thing I shouldn’t be getting wrapped up in. A group of immortal sorcerers who stays secluded in a pocket dimension for thousands of years now wants me to train in self-defense and keep a guard on me at all times? It sounds like they are trying to trick me into joining a cult or something. Not to mention I’m ninety-nine percent sure that Adam is the same man who broke into the museum last week to see the weapons. He’s put my work in jeopardy twice now, and I can’t risk anymore.” Nora threw her hands up in frustration.
Drew tugged at his sleeves before asking, “And your solution is to run away?”
“Of course,” Nora huffed. For somebody so intelligent, he was being oddly dense about the situation. “You seem disturbingly calm about all of this yourself.”
“Nora, I’m an emergency medicine doctor. Aggressively calm is what I do. It’s my way of coping.”
“Go ahead and keep up the level-headed act. I’m going to need your help getting out of here since I was unconscious when we came in.” Nora grabbed his hand and started towing him towards the door. “We’ll need to act fast. They’ll come looking for me.”
Drew hesitated, causing Nora to glance back over her shoulder at him in irritation.
“I know trying to get in your way might be akin to trying to stop a freight train with my bare hands, but I think you should stay.”
Nora turned to face him. “Look Drew, I don’t have time for this sort of craziness in my life. Adam shows up and a week later, I almost die. I’m so close to achieving my goals at work. I can’t get caught up in something like this. I need to get away while I still can. Do you want to stay or something?”
“No, I’m only here because of you, but you might not have a choice in the matter here,” Drew pointed out in a painfully reasonable tone. “Like you said, you almost died, and you need these people’s help if you don’t want it happening again.”
It took all the self-control Nora could muster to not stamp her foot like a stubborn child, and Drew knew her well enough to sense her struggle.
“Listen, how about we at least get some food in your stomach so you can make a decision with a clear head,” Drew placated. “That man Thad said something about lunch earlier, but I was too nervous to eat at the time. Get your blood sugar up, hear these people out, and if you still feel like leaving, I’ll help you.”
“How will we keep them from stopping us from leaving?” Nora asked petulantly, even though she was losing ground.
Drew raised a mischievous eyebrow. “I think we could use some sort of distracting wardrobe malfunction. It doesn’t seem like it would be difficult with you in… What is that you are wearing exactly?”
Nora looked down at herself and almost giggled, having forgotten how ridiculous she must look. “I’m not entirely sure. It’s some sort of traditional Greek garment. Thad left it for me to put on—with no instructions, I might add.” Reminded of her lack of underwear, as well, Nora briefly wondered how distracted Adam would be if her makeshift garment were to “accidentally” fall prey to a stiff breeze. Nora shook the intruding thought away, scolding herself for constantly letting her attention drift from the issues at hand.
“All right, it’s a deal,” Nora agreed, “but I think you should have the wardrobe malfunction if we need to get away. This is your idea, after all.”
* * *
Nora foundherself in a courtyard similar to the one she had met Adam in earlier, but instead of a fountain, there were several long tables. Each table was surrounded by short, backless stools, enough to seat a few dozen. However, the courtyard’s only occupants were Adam, Thad, and three other people Nora didn’t recognize sitting at the far end—and a bright blue peacock picking its way between the tables.
Drew led the way over to where the people were sitting. Noticing their approach, Adam looked up and motioned towards the unoccupied seat next to him. He was now wearing a dry black T-shirt, and Nora thought about how he must have had to change out of his wet clothes after his swim in the fountain. His dark curls were still damp and clung to his forehead in a way that made Nora’s mouth suddenly dry.
