Lila was about to shift when I held her immediately. My hand gripped her arm tight, fingers digging in just enough to stop her. “Calm down,” I told her, my voice low but urgent. “We were being chased, remember? We have no time for this. We can’t stop here. Ryan is back there fighting for us. We have to keep moving or everything he is doing will be for nothing.”
Just then hard footsteps started approaching us. They sounded heavy and fast on the ground, like something big was closing in. We could all hear it because of our sharp hearing. The sound made my skin crawl. Each step seemed to shake the pavement a little. I could feel the vibration through my shoes. My heart beat faster in my chest. The air around us felt thicker, like the night itself was holding its breath.
Eli quickly asked me
