Clearly not expecting this, the guard grunts and takes a step back, giving me just enough room to shove him out of the way and rejoin Silas.
"We need to find the others," I say, panting.
"Come on," says Silas, already rounding the corner to where Landon's and Shade's rooms are.
The siren shifter is already stepping out into the hallway, rubbing his eyes. "What the fuck is going on?" he asks.
"Edith," says Silas. "She's here."
"Fuck," mutters Landon. "Are you sure?"
I nod, and that's all it takes to wake the siren shifter up. Hunter finds us just as we're pounding on Shade's door, looking relieved as he checks me over for injuries.
"Ivis, now's not a good day to sleep in," Landon calls. "Our witch problem is back."
For a terrifying moment, there's no response, and I wonder with panic if Shade is even here, but then his familiar voice rings around the corner. "Fuck, there you are!" Rushing up to me, he brushes some hair out of my face. "I was at your room," he pants. "For a second there I thought…"
"It's okay," I assure him. "I'm okay."
"Where is everyone?" asks Hunter.
"That guy said they were on the top floor," replies Silas. "Probably going after Theo first. They must have come from the roof."
"If Edith is here, that's where she'll be," says Landon. "No time to get breakfast, fellas.We've got a witch to catch."
Briefly I consider trying to track down Hazel and the twins, but I dash that idea; they're several floors below us, and if we go after her we'll be going the wrong direction while getting lost in the crush of evacuating shifters. No, we'll just have to reunite when this is all over.
Again.
Forgoing the elevators, we rush up the back stairwell, moving past a couple of others on our way up. It's only after one of the other doors flies open that I realise my mistake in taking the lead. Two armor clad agents immediately force their way into the stairwell, and they have me in their sights before I can do anything.
"Boots!" yells Hunter.
The first one is holding a rifle, so I do the only thing I can think of: I lunge to the right while sweeping my hands to the left, knocking him just off target enough for his shot to ricochet off the concrete wall.
Hunter, who's behind me, transforms and picks him up like a rag doll before tossing him over the edge of the stairway.
It was a mistake to watch, though, because in an instant, the second guard is on me. I barely have time to get my arm up in a block before he's shoving me backward, making me stumble and crash back into Silas.
A taloned hand steadies me—he must have already transformed—and moves me behind him before unleashing a jet of flame at the second soldier. Whatever he's wearing, it must be fireproof, because the heat doesn't even slow him down.
Feeling movement behind me, I duck down instinctively, just in time for Shade to go leaping over my head in his wolf form. His strong jaws close around the man's shoulder, tearing at him savagely, and that's enough to make him go down.
We don't bother to wait around, picking up speed as we race up the stairs. Soon I'm feeling out of breath, cursing my lack of cardio, but the guys spur me on, some shifted and some not, as we make our way towards the penthouse.
I'm thoroughly winded by the time we shove open the door to the top floor, but adrenaline immediately takes over; it might as well be a battlefield. Almost everyone is transformed, with fireballs, spells, and claws flying in every direction. It's almost impossible to tell who's on which side, and for a moment we just stand there, trying to make sense of the situation.
It's only the sound of Theo's voice that snaps me out of it. "You're supposed to be safe, Millie!" He's in what looks like three different forms at once, grappling with a cluster of attacking shifters alongside a couple of his bodyguards.
"The witch," I shout, ignoring him, "where is she?"
"The young one? She was in my office."
I nod and move to go, then turn around and glance back at Theo. "Stay safe," I tell him.
Something crosses his face—a mixture of hope and regret—and he gives me a stoic nod. "Likewise."
That's all we have time for, as a roar alerts us to the presence of a dragon behind us. Whirling around, I just manage to get out