them—

She shunted the thoughts aside. This was no time for a

philosophical debate about doctors and their obligations.

It was time to run.

Reaching behind her, she found two hands. One was slick with

blood so she reached farther, thanking her late mother for all the ballet

lessons, all the children’s yoga, and she grabbed the sleeve above it. And

then she put her back into it and pulled.

To her surprise she hauled Damon up with her. She tried to heft

him farther up on her back, but that didn’t work. And then she even

managed a wobbly step forward, and another—

And then Sage was there picking both of them up and they were

going into the lobby of the building of the Shi no Shi.

“Everyone, get out! Get out! Bloddeuwedd’s after us and she’ll kill

anything in her way!” Elena shouted. It was the strangest thing. She

hadn’t meant to shout. Hadn’t formulated the words, except perhaps in

the deepest parts of her subconscious. But she did shout them into the

already frenzied lobby and she heard the cry taken up by others.

What she didn’t expect was that they would run, not out into the

street, but down toward the cells. She ought to have, of course, but she

hadn’t. And then she felt herself and Sage and Damon going down,