Page 56 of The Shade of Things
The display showed seven more floors to be alone.
I had to find a loophole in my promise to Zev. I couldn’t mention the Ascendant, and I didn’t want to lie to Laurent about the artifact at the heart of this tragedy. Not even a lie of omission. Besides, it didn’t matter what I called it or whether I claimed to know what Tatiana had been after, the second he mentioned the car crash to his aunt, it would be game over.
The correct thing to do would be to leave Laurent alone until after we could openly discuss everything.
I drank him in: the curls I loved to rake my fingers through, his long dark lashes, the curve of his stubbled jaw, and his strong shoulders and arms. My resolve broke.
Teasingly slow, I rose onto tiptoe, pressing my body against him, my face tilted upward. He had every chance to stop me, but he didn’t. Although he held himself stiffly, his eyes were lit up with the green brilliance of the aurora borealis. I swept my lips across his, feeling his small, shuddering sigh.
Laurent skimmed a hand up my side, giving in to our exploratory kiss. It was as soft as the flutter of butterfly wings, but despite its lightness, it had the weight of his full attention behind it. He tasted sweet, this supernova made of stardust candy who was headier than any sugar rush.
I pulled my lips from his, holding on to him by his shirtfront.
“Talk to me,” he murmured. He looped a curl behind my ear.
Much as I longed to, I couldn’t speak the truth that would change everything. Not until I had a way to do it without breaking my promise.
“It’s complicated,” I whispered. “Give me time.” I turned pleading eyes to his lust-fogged ones.
At my words, they cleared to a razor-sharp gaze, his predatory hunter self instantly in control, and he nodded. “D’accord, but Mitzi? I won’t wait long.”
By the time the doors were fully open, we stood a sensible distance apart, but this secret was a thick sheet of ice blocking my way back to being the aboveboard friend he deserved.
I treated myself to the chocolate bar stashed in my pack. I’d intended to hold out longer before eating it, but I didn’t fall on it like a ravenous animal, which was as good as it got. Plus, I justified carbo loading now for the large magic energy expenditure coming up.
Everyone left me alone, which I appreciated. I didn’t sleep, but I managed to quiet my mind with some meditation exercises from the yoga class that Jude and I used to do until I was rested and psyched up.
Even so, when Eli signaled me, I wished for five more minutes.
My stomach in knots, I put on my despised backpack. “Let’s do this.”
Once we were in the lobby, it took some adjustments to get everyone positioned under the black mesh, hanging on to each other’s backs like preschool kids going to the playground.
It was easy enough to avoid the two shifters on patrol, though Teresa gripped the back of my T-shirt so hard, I almost stumbled.
We followed the howls, and we peered around a corner onto the street where, hopefully, the other humans were holed up.
“Shiiiiiit,” Emmett breathed.
What did you call a group of wild beasts and bloodsuckers blockading the entrance with a cacophony of eerie yells, scratching, flapping, hissing, and howling? A shock of supernaturals? A madness of monsters? A doozy of douchebags?
We regarded the congregation with dismay, since they’d notice the front door opening.
Under the mesh, I motioned to the others to creep to the side of the building. Once there, we considered our options. A quick peek showed there weren’t any windows along the back, and the glass front door revealed that this tower’s interior was identical to the one we’d come from. That meant every floor, including the lobby, was one giant open space.
We couldn’t attract attention when we shattered the window. The noise wasn’t the problem, the glass was, complicated by the fact that since we couldn’t see in through the one-way windows, we couldn’t determine where the lights were located. Break the wrong window and we’d be doing so under a spotlight.
I shrugged in question, and Eli rapped on the window that was farthest back with his elbow.
Emmett cracked his knuckles and shoved everyone aside to position himself in front of the glass. He turned to the right. He turned to the left. Took a step closer.
Laurent casually flicked out a claw. “We’re waiting.”
My magic flickered, revealing our feet. I visualized a giant crochet hook adding length until the black mesh once more swept along the floor.
A bead of sweat slid down my temple.
Emmett stood dead center again, pulled his fist back, and let ’er fly.
