Page 46 of Property of Mako
“Nice,” I complimented.
“I aim to please. They were responding to the call about the chandelier,” Spook returned with a modest shrug. “This way.”
We followed him to the end of the hall, then took the left branch into the east wing, where he vanished after a whispered, “Keep going.”
At the end of the hall, there were three more men dressed to the nines but armed to the teeth.
“Shit,” Lyra whispered next to me.
They hadn’t noticed us yet. “Play along,” I instructed before I chuckled and pushed her against the wall.
She giggled and moaned when I playfully nipped the plump arch of her breast above her bodice.
“Hey! You can’t be back here!” one of the idiots called out.
Pretending to be surprised anyone was here, I lifted my head with mock-innocent wide eyes. “Excuse me? Do you know who I am?” I demanded in a pompous tone that I hadn’t used in centuries.
“I don’t care who—” the guy started to snap back but Crypt Keeper burst through the east wing door in wolf form, a blur of black fur and bared teeth. He slammed into two guards, sending them sprawling. Spook materialized behind the one who had spoken to us, snapping his neck before he hit the ground.
Spook grabbed the ring of gold skeleton keys from one of the guards, and the door opened with the third key he tried. He turned the knob and cracked the door slowly.
“Let’s move!” I snarled, shoving the door open wider.
Inside, the air was cooler, dimmer—and humming with restrained panic. The glamour was thinner here, and I could see the rows of young women lined against the far wall, each chained with silver cuffs. Some shrank back at the sight of us. Others just stared with dull, hopeless eyes.
Then Lyra froze.
I followed her gaze—and there she was. Lily.
She looked so much like Lyra, if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought it was her daughter.
Her hair was blonde and coifed, her eyes terrified and wide, but she was alive. When she saw Lyra, her lips parted, and she appeared confused, but I swear the smallest spark of hope flickered there.
“Go,” I urged, but my tone carried the warning that she couldn’t break cover yet.
“Mako,” Spook’s voice cut through. “More guards inbound. Heavy hitters.”
I scanned the room, calculating. We were close—so close—but one wrong move now and we’d never make it out with them.
Lyra’s fingers brushed mine—just the faintest contact—but her eyes burned with the same vow I’d made to myself the second I’d heard Lily’s name that day in the club’s new shop.
We were getting her out.
No matter what.
Chapter 21
Burn the Plan
Mako
Octavia’s voice was still in my head.
You will be able to get in, retrieve the girl, and get out. Stealth will be your friend, not force.
Yeah, screw that.
Lily’s eyes locked on Lyra’s through the dim, glamour-thinned air, and the way Lyra’s breath caught told me all I needed to know—with my sister’s face forefront in my mind, there was no scenario where I left anyone else behind.
