Devil Mine (Walk Through Shadows Book Two)

Chapter 14

Em drew a deep breath in through her nostrils and slowly released it from her mouth.

Come on, Emmeline. One foot, then the other, Show 'em how it's done.

She closed her eyes for a second. Her father had said those words to her dozens of times. In that moment, standing in Davros' bedroom, about to attempt an escape, she would have given anything to see her dad's reassuring smile just one more time. She shook her head once.

Fall apart later.

She nodded and turned to Davros. After flipping the blanket over his lower body, she marched to the washroom and cleaned herself up. She left the light on and closed the door. If he woke up, it might give her a few extra minutes if he thought she was in there.

She snatched his discarded jeans from the floor next to the bed and searched the pockets. She piled the money from his wallet on the dresser and dropped the garment on the floor. Her eyes narrowed as she eyed the dresser. Many people hide things in sock drawers. Why would he be any different?

She yanked the top drawer open and shoved her hands under the neatly organized underwear and socks. In the back corner, her fingertips encountered something cold. They wrapped around it and pulled it out. It was a dagger in a black and silver sheath. She tugged it free and held it up. It looked sharp and a weapon would be a good idea. She moved to set it next to the money and froze.

The reflection in the mirror above the dresser wasn't hers. What had been a frantic-looking woman with loose waved of hair falling down her back, eyes wide with fear, was a black smudge. She spun around, saw nothing but Davros' unconscious form under the blanket, and turned back to the mirror. She inched closer. So did the smudge.

Her head cocked to the side. The smudge shifted. She dropped her gaze to the dagger, then shoved it back into the sheath. The smudge in the mirror was replaced by her terrified face. She set the dagger next to the money and turned to the closet. The dagger might be scary as hell, but at least it was a weapon. She could ask Balthazar about it once they were safe. Since she was finally moving, she wanted to keep going.

She yanked the closet door open. Grabbed the first bag she saw, snagged a couple of t-shirts and pants from the shelves. After cramming the clothes into the bag, she headed back to the dresser. She shoved the money and dagger in the bag, zipped it closed, and marched to the French doors. With one last look at Davros, she closed the door and jogged along the balcony to her room.

She ran to the dresser and pulled out clothes to shove into the bag. Her hands were shaking by the time she got dressed, but she got everything into place, then hurried to the armoire to grab a sweater and hiking boots. Her purse was stuffed into the bag and it was zipped closed. She pulled the strap over her head and settled it between her breasts.

As she got to the door, she hesitated. There were no sounds in the hallway, but it wouldn't hurt to have the dagger close, just in case. She fished it out of the bag and dropped it into the pocket of her sweater. She kept the boots in one hand, choosing not to wear them, so she didn't make too much noise going down the stairs.

The hallway was empty when she opened the door a crack, so she crept and closed the door. She walked to the staircase quickly and peeked around the corner. The foyer was empty as well, but she could see the guards at their post near the front door through the glass panel. They had their backs to the door.

She crept down the stairs as quickly as could while keeping her eyes on the door. She made it down without calling attention to herself and sprinted for the next set. Her back connected with the wall with a soft thump as she rounded the corner. She froze and listened intently. They must not have heard it. She padded down the stairs slowly, still listening for any signs that she'd been discovered. The lower level was deserted. She hurried to the storage room.