Alex ran up the stairs as quickly as he could with the sole intention of reaching the third floor either at the same time as the elevator carrying the witch from London or better still reaching there before the elevator, he knew in his mind that both outcomes were almost impossible. There was no way he could be faster than or just as fast as someone using the elevator when he was using the winding flight of stairs. This was what Valerian had ordered him to do so he was trying to do it but he hoped in his heart that there was a better plan in place than him being faster than an elevator. He was midway up the second floor already but was sure he could not make it when the lights went off suddenly. He stopped for abruptly for a split second and then smiled to himself when he deduced that the
