Timebound(73)

I slammed the door behind us. “Run,” I said, nodding toward the exit at the end of the corridor and grabbing his hand. “We have to get out of here now.”

We were about a third of the way to the exit when a door opened behind us. I looked back over my shoulder, expecting to see an angry Charlayne at the gym entrance. Instead, I saw a very angry Eve, with a trickle of blood running down her cheek. She was leaning against the frame of the glass door for support. Two even angrier Dobermans were trying to push their way past her. Eve’s legs gave out and she fell forward. One of the dogs yelped as she landed on him, but it didn’t deter either of them from their target—me.

We were still a good sixty yards from the exit and I knew there was no way that we could get out before they reached us. Trey, however, might make it if I could create a diversion, especially since his longer legs covered the ground much faster than my short ones.

I yanked the CHRONOS key out of my shirt, still running, as Trey pulled me by my other hand, trying to speed me up. “We can’t make it unless we split up, Trey,” I said. “Get to the car. I’m going to jump back to Katherine’s house. It’s our only chance.”

“No!” he said, pulling me harder.

“Trey, please! I’m sure Eve has called security—get out of here! I’ll be okay.” I let go of his hand and shoved him as hard as I could in the direction of the door, hoping that I sounded more confident than I felt.

Then I spun around to face 180 pounds or so of snarling teeth.

The dogs were still running toward me, but when they saw the medallion, they slowed their pace and stopped barking. I touched my hand to the center. One of them whined softly, like Daphne had at the door of the library, and took a couple of steps back. The other one looked confused but kept coming toward me, his large teeth bared and looking much too sharp for my comfort.

“Back! Sit!” I said in my most commanding voice, which right then was about as authoritative as Mickey Mouse. The dogs weren’t impressed with me, but they were still eyeing the CHRONOS key warily and moving toward me at a slower pace.

I was tempted to look back to see if Trey had actually left—I hadn’t heard the door open, but the dogs were making it difficult to hear anything else. I didn’t dare break eye contact with them, however. So I stood my ground, pulled up the display, and tried to lock in my destination.

“Good doggies,” I whispered. They were only about ten feet away; I needed to hurry. “Stay…”

The larger and more aggressive of the two beasts apparently didn’t care for the “stay” command because he began barking again and lunged toward me. I countered with a left kick to his midsection.

Unfortunately, his jaws connected with my thigh at about the same time my kick sent him sprawling. I screamed as his teeth ripped through my jeans and raked two deep grooves in my leg. My hands shook and the display flickered in front of me, but I steadied them before I lost the stable point entirely.

I heard Trey calling my name from a distance and footsteps running toward me. “I’m okay! Go back, Trey!” The alpha dog was once again on his feet, his haunches tensed and ready to spring. If I tried to block him, I knew I’d lose the stable point again.

A split second later, the dog was in the air, headed toward the arm holding the CHRONOS key. I did the only thing I could do—blinked my eyes and hoped for the best.





15





I don’t remember screaming, but I must have, since it was a scream that brought Connor to the kitchen. In retrospect, a scream would have been a perfectly normal reaction to the fact that ninety pounds of vicious Doberman was so close that I could, very briefly, smell him and feel his breath, warm against the skin of my arm. After a moment had passed without teeth again puncturing my skin, I tentatively opened my eyes. I looked around the dark kitchen and then sank to the floor, pulling in ragged breaths and wrapping my arms around my chest in an effort to calm down.

Connor and Daphne were in the doorway a few seconds later. “What in God’s name have you done, Kate?”

I gave Connor a weak smile as Daphne came over to nuzzle me. “Remember that book you wanted from the library?” I pulled the Book of Prophecy out from beneath my shirt. “Turns out the Cyrists release the hounds on you if you don’t have a library card.”

I could tell from his eyes that he was very happy to see the book, but the sentiment didn’t reach the rest of his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Why on earth would you take such a chance just to get that? You’re bleeding all over the damned floor.”