Chapter 5 The Clock is Ticking

Evie's pulse wouldn't calm down.

The bookstore felt tight, walls squeezing in as Nathan locked the door with quick, hard jerks. He was wound up, jaw so tight she swore it'd snap.

She swallowed dry. "Nathan, who was that?"

He didn't say a thing.

Just blew past her, heading straight for the back.

Evie froze a second, then scrambled after him.

"Nathan!" she yelled.

He didn't slowly down, ducking into the storage room. Old books towered on rickety shelves, dust swirling in the morning light.

Her heart thumped loud.

"Nathan," she tried again, stepping in. "Talk. Who was that guy?"

He stopped dead.

Back to her, shoulders stiff as boards. Didn't say nothing for a stretch.

Then, "He's Darius."

Evie scrunched her face. "And?"

Nathan spun, blue eyes blazing. "And he's a harbinger."

She blinked at him. "A what now?"

Nathan huffed, rubbed his neck hard. Looked beat, not just tired, like something had worn him thin.

"Harbinger," he mumbled. "Arcane's errand boys. Spies. Muscle." His voice dropped. "Killers."

Cold shot through her.

"He's not here to kill me," Evie said, half to herself. "Right?"

Nathan let out a dry, bitter laugh. "You'd be dead already if he wanted that."

Not exactly a warm fuzzy.

Evie swallowed again, throat scratchy. "So what's he after?"

Nathan's eyes went dark. "Your pendant."

Her hand flew to it, metal warm in her grip. "Why?"

He paused, then stepped in slow.

"There's stuff you don't know, Evie," he said, quieter. "Stuff your mom kept quiet."

Her breath hitched. "Like what?"

Nathan's face stayed blank.

"That pendant," he said. "Ain't just a seal. It's a key."

Her stomach flipped. "Key to what?"

Nathan waited, eyes flickering with something weird, hard to read.

Then he spilled it.

"A prison."

Quiet hit hard.

Evie's head spun. "A... prison?"

Nathan nodded, grim. "Holds something big. Something Darius and the Arcane wanna let loose."

Evie shook her head, fingers digging into the pendant. "That's crazy. If Mom knew, why stick me with it?"

Nathan let out a breath. "Cause you're the only one who can keep it shut."

Those words sank heavy, right in her chest.

She never signed up for this. Didn't want this mess. But it didn't matter now.

They were coming.

And time was slipping fast.

A Race Against Time

Nathan didn't waste a beat.

"We're out," he said, already moving.

Evie's gut dropped. "What?"

"They found you," he snapped. "More's on the way."

Her heart slammed. "But, we don't even know where to go!"

Nathan yanked his bag, shoving knives and junk in. "We'll sort it on the road."

Evie's brain raced. "Nathan-"

"Evie." He turned, eyes dead serious. "Stay here, you're done by dark."

That hit her like a brick.

This wasn't no game.

No choice left.

Evie sucked in shaky air, nodded.

Nathan shot her a quick look. "Good. Let's roll."

But just as he grabbed the door, a loud crash split the air outside.

Evie flinched hard.

Nathan froze up.

Then "BANG."

The front door rattled, hard and mean.

Evie's breath stuck.

They were here.

Nathan's jaw locked. "Damn it."

Evie's pulse hammered. "What now?"

Nathan's eyes flicked to her, sharp, figuring fast.

"We fight."

Who busted in? Can they get out quick enough?