I kept my shoulder against the wall, and tried not to think about how small the steps were. I ascended the chimney as fast as I dared, turning the corners carefully, and never looking down.
The climb was longer than I anticipated, and inky black. The chimney was tight enough that I could use both hands against opposite walls for balance, but it was far too confining for my comfort. I took deep breaths and tried not to think about what would happen if I somehow got stuck.
Near where I imagined was halfway up, the wall next to me disappeared into a deep, open rectangle taller than I was. I thrust my toe into the air until I felt the solid floor of a tan alcove beneath my foot. I stepped over and swung my body into the space—and hit a wall. The wall was made of something softer than brick—probably wood—so it didn’t hurt too badly.
With shaking arms, I pulled myself forward. Once I was safely standing, I groped the panel in front of me. It was definitely made of wood. It had to be a door! I braced my legs, twisted the ring, and pushed. The door swung inward, and I landed in a heap on the floor of a dimly lit room.
“Maren!” I felt thin arms fold around me.
“Grandma!” I stumbled to my feet and hugged her tightly. “Thank goodness I found you! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“No dear, but . . .” she faltered.
“What?” I searched her face for some sign that Graham had harmed her. If he had . . .
“That boy, Graham, he’s not what he seems. He’s a . . .” Again, she paused as if not wanting to scar me with the awful truth.
“He’s a demon,” I finished for her. “I know. That’s why we came here looking for you.”
“We?”
“Me and Gavin.”
“Gavin, your tutor? What does he have to do with any of this?”
A low sonic boom reverberated around the room. The floor quivered.
“It’s a long story,” I said, hugging her tightly. “Let’s get out of here first, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
We turned toward the chimney opening—the only way in or out of the windowless secret room—and froze. I had been followed. A small gray cloud of smoke slunk across the floor. I inched out over the opening. The bottom of the chimney tunnel now flickered beneath me. The fire had spread. There was no going back down.
I ducked inside. “We’re going to have to go up to the roof,” I said. “Can you make it?”
“Aye,” she confirmed. “Lead the way.”
We climbed back into the chimney and up the crude wooden stairs as fast as we could. A couple of times, I heard a slip and a gasp, but my grandmother managed to stay close behind me.
As we climbed, the holy battle continued, shaking the house to its foundations. I tried not to rush, but I didn’t want the chimney to crumble while we were still in it, either.
Finally, I could taste the fresh air. The smoke stack was considerably smaller than our passageway, but we managed to slide out of it one at a time. The roof of Campbell Hall was big enough to land a helicopter on. And really, really high up. I searched for a ladder or fire escape or some other way down. There was nothing.
“What do we do now?” I asked my grandmother.
Jumping was out of the question; no one could survive the fall.
“We wait,” she said.
“For what?”
“A miracle.” She drew me close, and we stared out over the dark forest. It was a beautiful night. I wondered if it might be our last.
Please, God, I prayed, help us out of this mess. I’ll do anything, give anything . . .
A tremendous explosion rocked the entire area. We fell to our knees, and clung tighter to one another. I shut my eyes and braced for the worst. Patterns of red light flickered before my eyelids. For a brief second, I wondered if I was dead. Sirens pierced the cold night air.
The fire brigade was screaming up the drive.
My grandmother and I were safely back on the ground, tucked between two red and yellow fire trucks. Wrapped in a standard-issue emergency blanket I didn’t think we needed, we watched as Campbell Hall tried to survive its own war from within. Repeated explosions shook the ground. Fireballs jumped off the roof. The firemen knew they were helpless against such a blaze, so they too watched as, one by one, the walls crumbled. I gnawed the inside of my cheeks and waited.
Finally, a figure emerged from the smoke and rubble. He walked slowly, as if bruised but not beaten. I knew instantly from his silhouette who had won.
I ducked under the yellow police tape and ran toward him. Gavin was smudged with black sediment and a fair amount of blood, but otherwise, he seemed fine. I dove into his arms and covered him in kisses.
After a minute, he set me down. He was carrying something shiny in his hand, and held it out to me.
“I thought you might want this.” He smiled. It was my rose necklace.
He slipped it over my head and kissed the crown of my hair tenderly. I felt whole again.
“Graham’s dead, right?” I asked, startling as another blast reverberated across the lawn.
“For now,” Gavin said with a nod.
I didn’t want to know what that meant. I was done with demons. Forever.
CHAPTER 37
Gavin and I were sitting on the wooden swing in the backyard of my house, watching the forest turn purple and pink. It was almost dawn. My grandmother was safely inside. My grandfather was on his way back from St. Andrews. And in my world, everything was perfect. Finally perfect.
I leaned against Gavin, my head on his chest while he rocked us with his feet. I could hear his heartbeat, feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt. He stroked my hair lightly. I couldn’t get close enough to him.
“I love you, Maren,” he said. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I didn’t think I could feel this way.”
“You’ve never been in love before?” I asked. “Not in your two hundred eighty-three years? Not with all those hundreds of girls you’ve rescued?”
He looked wounded by my accusation. “No, never.” He shook his head. “Not even close. Angels are supposed to love everyone, all of humanity equally, but now I realize it’s a superficial love. What I feel for you is so much deeper. It’s like you’ve somehow planted roots inside me that are twisted around my heart. I’m not sure I can live without them now.” He paused. “Have you ever been in love before?” I thought I saw a hint of jealousy in his crystal-blue eyes.
“No,” I confessed. “I’ve never even been in serious like before. Unless you count Adam Cohnen . . .”
“Who’s that? I’ll kill him!” Gavin said playfully.
“My fourth-grade crush.”
“Did you kiss him?” Gavin asked, raising his eyebrows.
I nodded. “Yep. Behind the jungle gym. I chased him, and I kissed him on the cheek. But he didn’t kiss me back.”