The Afterdark mouthed, "where is the boy?"
Nell relayed the message, "He wants to know where the boy is."
"Two floors up," Walker said. "Guarded."
Derek had already grabbed Nell by the back of her collar and immediately began dragging her along. He took heavy steps, sending sound through the frame of the building, a warning to all the folks above that they would be better off jumping out the windows than they would be if they remained.
Nell wanted Seer to get back soon so that The Afterdark's bloodlust would be sated. If Seer decided not to show up, she wasn't sure what would happen.
The girl found that climbing two flights of stairs was draining, and it made her head pound. While she felt herself breathing, she didn't feel like she was getting enough oxygen. The ill feeling passed, which was good because she knew Derek would never tolerate her lagging.
They were on the right floor quite suddenly, and Nell heard crying. In the shadow, she saw The Afterdark's head tilt to listen.
They stood together (Nell trying hard not to be clingy) in a doorway, The Afterdark stooped like a hunchback, hovering just behind the girl, who craned her head back to look at him for cues. In front of them stretched a hallway that was thinner than most. There were four doors on either side, and at the end of the hall was a painting of a boat.
Derek pushed Nell roughly out of his way and moved to the first door. First he extended the radius of his shadow, then he pressed himself as best he could against the wall and threw the door open. Nell watched his shade seep into the room like tar, but there was no one there--only a desk with a computer and a photograph of someone's family.
Nell relayed the message, "He wants to know where the boy is."
"Two floors up," Walker said. "Guarded."
Derek had already grabbed Nell by the back of her collar and immediately began dragging her along. He took heavy steps, sending sound through the frame of the building, a warning to all the folks above that they would be better off jumping out the windows than they would be if they remained.
Nell wanted Seer to get back soon so that The Afterdark's bloodlust would be sated. If Seer decided not to show up, she wasn't sure what would happen.
The girl found that climbing two flights of stairs was draining, and it made her head pound. While she felt herself breathing, she didn't feel like she was getting enough oxygen. The ill feeling passed, which was good because she knew Derek would never tolerate her lagging.
They were on the right floor quite suddenly, and Nell heard crying. In the shadow, she saw The Afterdark's head tilt to listen.
They stood together (Nell trying hard not to be clingy) in a doorway, The Afterdark stooped like a hunchback, hovering just behind the girl, who craned her head back to look at him for cues. In front of them stretched a hallway that was thinner than most. There were four doors on either side, and at the end of the hall was a painting of a boat.
Derek pushed Nell roughly out of his way and moved to the first door. First he extended the radius of his shadow, then he pressed himself as best he could against the wall and threw the door open. Nell watched his shade seep into the room like tar, but there was no one there--only a desk with a computer and a photograph of someone's family.
