“Oh, no. We’re not done yet.” Daniel’s fist closed on the nape of my neck, shoving me toward the bay door. He’d caught up the bulging carry-all and slung it across his back.

At the doorway, Hannah blocked the way. “Leave it, Dan. Be out of here while we can.”

“This won’t take long.”

“Too long.”

“Only if we stand here talking.”

“I save your butt over and over and do you ever listen to me?” Hannah sucked her teeth, scowling. “At least leave her here.”

“She needs to see this.”

“What the fuck for?”

“Okay. I need her to see it. Call it a chance for full disclosure.”

“Dan, they’re onto me. The door is closing.”

Daniel stared her down until she set her jaw and shouldered her bow.

“Okay. But make it quick.”

I was silent, like a leaf on a branch, dangling loose at the end of Daniel’s arm even as I leaned away toward Zephyr and escape. His grip was only firm. I could have shrugged it off but lacked the will to try. I let him—determined, implacable—sweep me along. Halfway across the unlit bay, I remembered Julian’s remark about Daniel throwing himself on the fire. Maybe now I got what he meant. He’d seen his brother this close to the edge before. If Daniel went into the building without some sort of sea anchor to drag him back, he might not come out again. Even scary as he was right then, I couldn’t let that happen.

I jiggled my shoulder inside his grasp. “I’m okay. I’ll stick by. I promise.”

“Like you promised to stay back at the den?”

“Julian said I better come.”

“And you listen to him now?” But he slowed, studying me in the scant light.

Hannah answered for me. “She was holding us up, stubborn git.”

“She is that.” His grip eased on my neck as the jungle in his eyes retreated some. “Okay, Glim. On your honor. But make yourself useful. Put your picker’s eyes to work.”

What happened to calling me Lizzy? “What am I looking for?”

“Anything like a Macy that’s still breathing.”

He stared at me hard, waiting for me to break and run. So of course I couldn’t.

Hannah jostled. “Are we doing this?”

“Now.”

To the right of a second row of rolled-down doors, Daniel cracked open a smaller door, peered in, then gestured us through. Raucous shouts and pounding tumbled down from upstairs like distant thunder. Daniel gathered us just inside. “We’ll do a final sweep, then go lay them in. Take the rear, H.”

Aitch? Click, whir. Had to be. But whose side was she on? Anyone’s beside her own?

We moved ahead into darkness, through another door, and suddenly, into silvery light.