“That won’t be an issue, Captain,” came a voice from behind me. I whirled to see Henry, a crossbow in his hands, wearing the same clothes he’d left the Guard house in. He shot the skeletal dude in the heart, and then leaned over and yanked the bolt from the guy’s chest as soon as he collapsed. He nodded at Malachi. “Glad you texted. Run along now. I’ll clean up.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Malachi grabbed my arm and pushed me into the lot while Henry leaped onto the windowsill and took aim.

“Grab any blades we left behind,” Malachi called out as he started to run, collapsing his staff without breaking stride.

A flash of red light told me the cops had found our block. My feet slid in the gravel as I sprinted for the nearest alley, trying to get off the street. I barreled into it without even slowing down; then I tripped and went sprawling, hitting the cement hard. Stars appeared in my vision, but I scrambled forward, desperate to hide myself. If they caught us here, that would be it for me. They would probably charge me as an adult, would never let me go, would put me in a—

Warm hands skimmed across my ribs, and I let out a gasping breath. Malachi moved in close behind me and hooked his fingers beneath me, tugging me up. Like me, he was breathing hard, but unlike me, he seemed calm and determined as he guided me into a shallow alcove, a side entrance to the building next to us, concealing us as three police cruisers roared into the empty lot across the street.

My back was to the splintery wood of a door, and my face was pressed to Malachi’s chest, my ear to his heart. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on, taking unfair advantage of the chance to steal his warmth and strength, to pretend for a moment that he was still mine and wanted me to touch him. His earthy scent filled me up and left me starving. The drum of his heart both soothed me and called to me, until I was sure mine was beating in the same rhythm. The weight of his body against mine as he hid us from view both settled me and drove me crazy.

As we listened to the police using their bullhorn to demand that anyone left in the building come out with their hands up, Malachi’s arms slid around me, steadying us as we tried to remain flat against the wall, buried in darkness. “Are you hurt?” he whispered.

“Not really. My ribs ache from where I got hit with that pipe.”

“Broken?”

“I don’t think so. You?”