Essence of the Angels (The Starlight Chronicles #2)

Chapter Twenty One

Lucy's POV

We raced through the dark streets, following Neo and Andrew's lead.

Even though Neo had sealed the gateway behind us, it wouldn't stop them from using another one—and it wouldn't take long for the entire sanctuary to figure out that we were alive and had escaped them.

"Turn here," Andrew said gruffly, twisting right down another dark alleyway. It felt bizarre to be back on Earth— the effects of the DNA infusion were wearing off quickly, making the air temperature shift all around me.

"Where are we going?" Jason grunted, panting heavily. It felt like we'd been running for ages.

"An old safehouse," Andrew replied over his shoulder. "One of the lesser known ones—it'll be the safest place to stay."

I remembered that the angels had moved from safehouse to safehouse over the years, when the Starlight Barrier was still intact.

"The only downside is that Irma and Walter know of its location," Andrew added. "I doubt they'll think to look here."

Guilt spread through me again for leaving them behind. Not just them—we'd left Karen and Skye behind too. To be fair, they would probably be safer with the other survivors for now. Getting my parents involved was one thing but getting Valarie's maman involved was another.

We turned another corner, stumbling into a streetlight that flickered and illuminated the glistening cobblestone. Every window on the street was shattered, doors had been broken in, and it was deserted ghost town. I wasn't sure where we were exactly. I knew that we weren't in Lorelei, that was for sure, so we must have been in a neighboring country. It looked similar to Prague, based on what I'd learned in Geography class.

"Up ahead," Andrew pointed, drawing our attention to a grand but simple building with columns lining the front entrance. On the outside, it looked plain. Well, plain as far as this city went—the architecture was ancient and historic, and hardly drab, but it didn't stand out in any way. A heavy door led inside, and the windows were some of the only ones still intact. I suppose there hadn't been anything worthy inside.

"This is an old library," Andrew explained, as we walked up the front steps. "It hasn't been used in years, since a much larger one was constructed back in thenineteenth century. They moved all the books but left a lot of the furniture behind."

Andrew jiggled with the door handle for a moment, pushing hard on the door frame until it popped open. Light from the street spilled into the dark room ahead, illuminating empty shelves and a reception desk. "There's a basement we can hide in," Andrew assured us, stepping back to let us all through. "There aren't any supplies, but I'll go with Neo to find some. Your parents brought plenty of food rations."

Dad offered a small smile, holding a rucksack he'd managed to pack with Mum.

Jason went first, cautiously checking the room for any sign of trouble. I focused on illuminating a small shield in my hand. The light was dazzling enough to act as a torch, shining around the room as I followed.

Chrissy kept her distance, trailing behind us—but so far, she had remained civil. She still seemed skeptical of us, narrowing her eyes every time I looked over my shoulder to check on her, but her hands remained in her pockets as she sauntered along, although cautiously.

Kyra and my parents bought up the rear.

"We'll be back in a bit," Andrew said from the doorway as Neo waved at us. "Head down the left corridor—you'll find stairs to the basement."