Soren is in danger, and I have no idea when Liam will be here, but with the way the Giant is destroying the bookshelf, it may not hold for another five minutes.
“Don’t worry about me. You just stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
“You better be.” She looks away from me, and I take that as my cue to go before I catch her showing more emotion than she’s comfortable with.
I crawl through the small tunnel, then listen at the tiny door before pushing it open. I pull myself out and shut the door to protect Bella should the man find his way up here. For extra security, I scoot the desk over so it’s halfway covering it, the whole time telling myself it’s okay to lock a child in a tiny room for a few minutes and that I absolutely won’t lose my job over it. Or get arrested.
Not for the first time, I wonder just how much trouble I’m going to be in when the Hartwells discover what’s really been going on here. This job is all I have and soon it will be gone. But none of that matters right now.
Once outside Bella’s room, I relock the door, then quickly head down the hall. The stairs are wide open, making me feel like a helpless animal on display, but the smashing noises are still coming from the direction of the library.
What was I thinking? How am I supposed to distract him from far enough away so I can outrun him?
Maybe I can throw something at him? I couldn’t even hit Soren with a snowball when he was fifteen feet away. Maybe I can whistle.
I trip on the bottom step, falling over something. Bella’s megaphone.
Perfect.
I tiptoe as close to the library as I dare, stopping in the hall outside the door.
I raise the horn to my lips and turn the volume up, readying my feet to run the second I’ve distracted him.
“This is the police. Drop the sword.”
The pounding stops, followed by a thud, which I pray is the sword falling to the ground. That’s good enough for me.
I run while screaming into the megaphone. “Come out with your hands up!”
“Stupid girl!” The words pierce through the penthouse. I risk a glance back. He’s twenty feet behind me and mad as a hornet. I didn’t fool him for long, but hopefully long enough for Soren to get free.
This is far more terrifying than I anticipated. Why do I keep thinking I'm a match for dangerous thieves?
I sprint down the hall, but he gets closer with each step. At the base of the stairs, I grab the swing, throwing the circular disk behind me. It makes a thud as it bounces off something—hopefully, his head.
His hand brushes my hair, and I scream, circling the small carousel if only to put something, anything, between us. I leap over the mess of flour and dry noodles in the kitchen. But he fails to see it in time and slips. I push my legs harder, heading for the conservatory. I don’t know what Bella has planned, but I hope she doesn’t accidentally release it on me instead of him.
“Give me the painting or I shoot,” the man yells, ambling after me. I’ve got a lead, but not much. If he’d had a gun, he would have fired in the library. I call his bluff and slide on my fuzzy socks through the conservatory.
I’m at the other end when something explodes and splatters. I glance back to see goopy green slime covering him from head to toe. He slips, falling into the slop.
To think I used to hate Bella’s pranks.
I don’t wait around for him and double back through the living room.
But his voice once again rings through the cavernous penthouse. He’s not giving up, and I can’t lead him to Bella. Is she watching? I hope she’s enjoyingthisshow, because it may end in disaster.
I switch directions and head toward the theater. I pass the bathroom, but suddenly, I’m flying backward, into a chest and pulled into a dark space.
I try to scream, but a hand comes over my mouth.
“It’s me,” Soren whispers, slowly releasing my mouth.
We’re in the Hobbit room. Safe.
“Soren?” I spin around in his arms. “You made it out.”
“Thanks to you. I had to break the rest of the door to get out.” The room is too dark. I can’t see his face, but I can feel his gratitude as his voice softens. “You were supposed to stay with Bella and keep her safe.”
