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“Coathered Tarron into his arrunt “Calla, stay behind me”

“Want et his feet?”

“No That would leave you exposed” He started off, then hesitated Turning back to Calla, he sent her a look filled with regret “Baby, I’ I—”

She put her fingers to his lips “I love you Nothing will ever change that” She tilted her face to his and he brought his lips to hers

“I love you, too, baby,” he said “Now let’s get the hell out of here” Shifting her brother higher in his arms, he took the metal stairs, Calla on his heels At the top, they stepped out into the dim hallway

And smelled the acrid odor of smoke

As he climbed the stone staircase to the main floor, Nick’s chest and ar the problem was the knife wound in his side, which orse than he’d led Calla to believe Already, dizziness threatened to overtake him, but adrenaline propelled hirew thicker Almost there

“Baby, e get up there, I want you to stick as close to my back as you can,” he said over his shoulder

“Do you think he’s waiting for you?” she asked worriedly

“My guess is he’s still here soot a lot riding on the outcome,” Nick pointed out

They ascended the final distance to the h the archway Nick was nearly knocked down by the blast of heat as he continued on into the s had set the piles of furniture and other items ablaze, or at least the ones Nick’s men hadn’t been able to douse ater, and fla to lick up the walls and leap toward the ceiling

He spotted a ragged hole that had been blown through the rock about fifty yards away

“There! Let’s go!” he yelled above the noise The roaring fla around thehold

He wanted to get Calla and Tarron out of here Then he’d return to the battle