The heavy brass doorknob groaned as it began to turn.
Time fractured into milliseconds. I grabbed Kael by the collar of his tactical vest and shoved him violently toward the heavy velvet curtains that draped the massive bay windows. He stumbled backward, his dark clothing instantly swallowed by the thick, crimson fabric.
I spun around, tossed the Beretta under the pillows of my bed, and snatched the roll of medical gauze from the nightstand. With practiced, frantic precision, I wrapped it around my eyes and tied it securely at the back of my head just as the mahogany door flew open, hitting the wall with a deafening c***k.
The brilliant glare of the crystal chandelier flooded the room, painfully bright even through the layers of white gauze.
I threw a hand up to shield my face, letting
