Chapter 13 - We're a team

Heart racing, pulse pounding in her head, Seraphina stared at Jonathan's front door. Trapped. But then her phone buzzed in her pocket, a message from Molly flashing on the screen: GET OUT. The urgency in those two words snapped her into action.

There was no back door; she knew that for certain. "Windows!" she whispered aloud. There had to be another way out—perhaps a ledge. As if their thoughts were synced, both she and Farlow said telepathically at the same time, "The bedroom."

They rushed together into the room, heading straight for the single window. Thankfully, Farlow had remembered to grab the shoe and gently placed it back in its original spot. There was no time to worry about the slobber or the bite marks Kane might find on it later.

Seraphina moved aside the drapes and looked through the paned glass. "There's a set of stairs leading all the way down to the ground," she said in her mind to Farlow. "It's our only option."

They locked eyes. Jonathan's footsteps echoed closer, climbing steadily toward the apartment. She fumbled with the latch on the window.

"Hurry, Seraphina," Helios said. "I can hear the sound of keys."

With a sharp exhale, she pushed the window open, flinching as a cold gust slapped her face. Before she could make another move, Farlow leaped onto the ledge and sprang onto the fire escape outside.

"Mistress, let's go!"

Behind her, the sound of a door creaking open jolted her into motion. She threw one leg over the sill and slipped out the window just in time, easing the glass shut behind her. Through the gap in the bedroom doorway, she saw Jonathan step into his entryway and begin closing the door. Her stomach twisted with fire at the thought of running from him. One day, Jonathan...

Breathing heavily, she turned toward the street. The stairs were steep but manageable. Far from the most dangerous obstacle she'd ever faced. This was just a delay, not a defeat. She would get her life back—she had to.

Fifteen minutes later, Seraphina sat at Molly's kitchen table, a steaming mug in front of her. Farlow sprawled comfortably across the couch like they hadn't just made a narrow escape. The white Pomeranian shed contentedly onto the cushions.

Molly's eyes narrowed at him. "He's getting fur all over my couch," she grumbled. "There's a perfectly good floor right there."

A low, irritated growl echoed from Farlow's mind.

"Let him be," Seraphina said calmly. "We have more important things to discuss."

Molly folded her arms, shifting her attention. "You bet your ass we do. First of all—way to take it down to the damn wire." She raised an eyebrow.

"We didn't get caught," Seraphina replied. "That's all that matters."

"Whatever," Molly muttered, waving her off. "On to the good stuff. The whole time I was talking to Jon about The Wheel of Time, he kept bringing the conversation back to you. In the weirdest ways."

Seraphina frowned. "Whatever do you mean? And what is this wheel you speak of?"

"Oh." Molly laughed. "It's a TV show."

Seraphina tilted her head, waiting for elaboration.

Molly grinned. "Like a performance. A telling of a story. We watch it on a screen, like your laptop."

"I see. Go on."

"So I brought up one of the witches in the show—and Kane goes, 'Oh yeah, they're strong female characters... speaking of which, is Sera into this series?'" Molly leaned forward, clearly amused. "Could he be more obvious?"

Seraphina stared, uncomprehending. "Okay?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "He is interested in you. Like, romantically. He's showing all the classic signs. That non-date you two had? Apparently, it went really well."

Seraphina tried to hide her intrigue. This could be useful. "That's good news, then. If he has a romantic interest in me, I can use it against him."

Bethany narrowed her eyes but changed the subject. "Did you find anything upstairs?"

With a grin, Seraphina described the photograph she'd discovered—the image of the woman wearing the crystal necklace.

Molly's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"I am not kidding," Seraphina replied, straight-faced.

"Wow, so I guess all we went through was worth it?" Molly asked.

Andromeda placed her palms on the table. "We? Did you have to climb out a window?"

Molly scoffed. "Yes, we. I was sweating bullets down there! And you wouldn't have even gotten inside without me."

"You're right," Seraphina admitted. "You did your part well, I suppose."

Molly folded her arms. "We're a team. I need to be appreciated."

Seraphina admired her assertiveness. "Yes, we're a team. The three of us." She leaned back in her chair with a satisfied nod. That was all the praise she was willing to offer.

Molly studied her for a moment, then moved on. "So, the crystal—it's the key to this whole thing, right?"

Seraphina nodded. "I believe it is. But now the real challenge is getting Jonathan to reveal where it is. And thanks to you, I might just know how."

Molly stood. "I'll grab some snacks and drinks. We can brainstorm."

Before she reached the kitchen, loud voices rose up from the street below. She turned to the window. "What the hell?"

Andromeda joined her. Outside, Jonathan and the man from the meeting—Adrian—were standing in front of the neighboring building, their faces taut with fury. They appeared to be arguing with a large man holding a clipboard.

Molly opened the window. The shouting became clearer.

Adrian stepped forward. "What the hell?! I should have three more weeks, man. This is bullshit!"

The burly man remained unmoved, pointing toward the building. Two other men exited, carrying furniture and boxes out to the sidewalk.

"Oh no," Molly murmured. "They're tossing all his stuff out."

Adrian's voice echoed up. "You can't just randomly evict me over the weekend! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"Not my problem," the man replied, arms crossed.

Molly turned, disgusted. "The Stanley family's definitely making an example out of him. It's so wrong."

Seraphina shrugged. "Maybe. But it's not a bad tactic. And it usually works."

Molly stared at her. "Really? That's your take? It's cruel."

Seraphina tilted her head. "I'm a tactician. I can't ignore what's effective."

Molly didn't argue further, but her expression twisted like she'd just eaten a bug.

They both turned back to the street as the burly man walked away. Jonathan and Adrian remained, still clearly angry. Jonathan placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder, said something low, then stepped forward and shouted toward the movers: "I won't let you do this! You'll get what's coming to you."