The Rose Witch - Chandelle LaVaun Page 0,4

he.

Alarms blared through my mind. This was bad. I had to get out of here but he and the demon-dog were blocking the only path to the front door. Wait, the back door! Downstairs on the first floor there was a door that led out back of our shop and into an alley. If I could get there, I had a chance to run.

Without moving my head, I glanced to my right and almost cried with relief – I was already on the aisle that led to the stairs. The demon-dog prowled forward, growling so loud it shook the stacks of books. The man whispered something I couldn’t hear and the demon-dog froze again. I rolled to the balls of my feet. The man cocked his head to the side.

In 3…2…RUN!

I spun and sprinted down the aisle of French Revolutionary books. The black iron railing of the terrace that overlooked the lower level of the store was right there.

A growl ripped through the darkness behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder and screamed.

The demon-dog was chasing me, barreling down the hallway. It moved like a shadow, slithering toward me. The stairs were right there. It was in my reach. I dug my heels in and pushed my legs harder. Over the edge of the terrace railing I saw the glow of the red EXIT sign. I had to make it. But the demon-dog’s hot breath was sweeping through my hair. He was too close. His growls sent books crashing to the ground. Each time one landed open, a holographic picture shot out of the pages.

I grabbed a couple books off the shelves as I ran, then turned and threw them as hard as I could at the demon-dog. Dark red smoke shot out of my hands like missiles. It hit the demon-dog and threw it backward into the air. The demon-dog yelped. I glanced up behind it and my heart stopped. The man just stood there. Watching me.

I cursed and turned back for the stairs. The ground rumbled and wood groaned – and then a massive wooden stack that housed dozens of books crashed down into the spiral staircase. Books scattered everywhere, tumbling over the edge and crashing to the first floor. I slid to a stop with my heart in my throat and my cellphone gripped in my hand. The demon-dog stood up and shook its head. Behind it, in the distance, his owner’s eyes glossed over like a predator’s in the night. He was just standing there blocking the door.

Shit, shit, shit. I turned back to the railing and spotted the emergency exit. Close enough – I just had to get there, but the stairs were blocked. Oi. You have to get down there, Chloe. MOVE. In a desperate panic, I shoved my phone in my bra then climbed over the black iron railing to stand at the very edge of the balcony…and then I jumped.

Cool air rushed over my face but then my feet hit the top of the tower of books in the middle of the room. The force of my landing knocked my feet out from under me. My knees slammed into the wood and pain laced up my legs. There were a dozen book towers on the first floor, if I could just use them as stepping stones, I could get across the mezzanine. Each of the stacks were only a few feet apart. I didn’t give myself time to think it over to see the faults in my plan. I pushed to my feet then leapt into the air just as the demon-dog landed on the tower I’d been on. The world wobbled. The first tower tipped over and fell into the others like dominos.

My stomach sank and I screamed.

But it was too late, we were already crashing into the next tower. The towers crashing together sounded like icebergs taking down the Titanic. My heart leapt into my throat. There was nothing I could do but fall with them. The ground closed in and then pain exploded all through me. A thick grunt slipped out of my mouth and echoed around the room. The demon-dog had rolled a few tower stacks over.

I scrambled back to my feet and glanced up to the balcony.

The man stood at the very spot I’d jumped from, next to the blocked stairs. He said nothing, just watched me. WHAT THE HELL? Move, Chloe! I spun and sprinted as fast as I could toward the glowing red EXIT sign. I