A Little Night Muse(70)

                She yanked him onward as the corridor shuddered with crashing                     debris.

                There was only one way out now. They ran.

                Until the next curve brought them to a wall of steel.





                                      Chapter 13

                Josh slapped his hand against the doorway. It was a                     double door, floor to ceiling, the giant padlock in the middle beautifully                     executed in heavy brushed steel.

                And very, very locked.

                He took Adelyn’s hand and whirled her to one side as he yanked                     the pistol from his waistband.

                “Josh, no—”

                He fired a round into the lock.

                The iron bullet ricocheted with a screaming whine and buried                     itself in the wall opposite them.

                “Damn,” he muttered.

                “Not everything phae is an                     illusion.”

                “Too bad the lock is one of the real things.” He stared back                     the way they had come. “No sense digging out right into the mouths of those                     devil dogs, but the rubble won’t hold them for long.”

                Adelyn touched his hand. “Can you put the gun away? The                     iron...”

                With another curse, he tucked the pistol in the back of his                     jeans. “Sorry. I forgot.”

                She averted her gaze. “What I am must shock you.”

                “I knew you were phae.”

                “I mean...” She brushed one hand over her bare shoulder where                     scales dappled her skin. “When you saw the skin in the toadstool ring, you said                     ‘damn snakes’.”

                He dragged one hand through his hair and glanced at her                     sidelong. “Is that why you left?”

                “I couldn’t hide what I am.”

                “Adelyn—”

                “I don’t mean just the hair.” She wrapped her arms around                     herself. Even the serpents seemed to coil protectively tighter. “By leading the                     imp to the valley, I wrecked Vaile’s refuge. I only wanted to save myself, but                     you saved me instead. I might as well have been a snake without hands I was so                     useless. You showed me how to use my hands—to touch, to make, to hold—and I                     wanted to show you...” She caught her breath.