And looked back toward the house.
I didn’t have everything.
Will started his engine, and I whipped around, waving my hand. “Stop, wait!”
A couple of low barks drifted from the cars as he shot his head out the window. “What are you doing?”
“Stay here,” I told him.
“Banks!” he whispered after me. “What the hell?”
I ran up to the house and tried the door handle to the kitchen. It slowly gave way. My stomach churned. The guard had unlocked it to come and go which meant he was around. Softly opening the door, I peered inside and saw the small TV on the granite counter in the far corner was turned on. There was also a plate of crumbs in front of it. He was probably in the bathroom.
Taking my chance while I had it, I dashed through the kitchen, down the hallway, and up the stairs. Opening the door to the tower room, I crept quickly inside and jogged up the stairs.
Damon could be here.
But when I opened the door, the room was dim, the only light coming from the moon outside, and it appeared still empty. A pang of disappointment hit me. I wasn’t looking for him, and this probably wasn’t the best place for him to be, anyway, but if he wasn’t here, where else would he go?
Walking over to the dresser, I dug in the cabinet for both of the faunariums and quickly loaded Volos and Kore II into separate containers. If Damon wasn’t coming home, then there was no one to take care of them.
God, Kai was going to kill me.
Giving the room one last glance, I left and didn’t bother locking the door at the bottom of the stairs.
Racing back down the stairs, I ran right into a dark figure coming up and halted. One of the men, Sergei, stopped and looked up at me abruptly.
“What the hell are you doing?” He glared at me.
But I didn’t answer. Quickly swinging around him, I pounded down the rest of the stairs. He immediately continued up to the next floor, his pace more urgent. He was getting my father.
I walked into the kitchen, spotting Marina at the sink. She turned her head, her eyes wide with surprise. “Hey.”
I walked to the back door, fumbling with the handle and the cages in my hands as I opened it.
“Let’s go,” I told her. “You’re coming with me.”
“What?”
I turned my head. “We don’t have time to debate. I’m not leaving you here.”
With my father or these men.
She wiped her hands on her apron, confusion etched all over her face. “I can’t leave.”
“You can,” I insisted. “You can come with me. This minute. Do you want to?”
Her mouth opened but no words came out. Her eyes darted down, then up, and I’d never seen her look more conflicted as she searched the room around her like it would give her the answer she needed.
But then she blinked and took a deep breath, ripping off her apron. I smiled.
We ran out of the house, leaving the door wide open, and I looked to make sure Will’s truck was still just past the tree line. He turned on his headlights.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” A bellow nailed me right in the back.
I stopped, squeezing my eyes shut. Fuck.
I heard a car door slam shut and opened my eyes to see Will out of his truck and making his way quickly over.