The voices grew louder, resonating off the cavernous warehouse. Raven's heart thudded against her ribs as she concentrated on remaining utterly still. He considered leaving this walking disaster behind at first but after peering down into her eyes he knew he'd be an asshole to leave such a defenseless-looking thing behind. Dante's hold was tight but controlled, his body standing between her and the oncoming figures.
"We have to go," he breathed in her ear. "Now."
Her jaw tightened. She was planning how to get free from his grasp and snap his teeth when he caught hold of her wrist and led her through the darkness, dodging between creaky machinery and piles of abandoned crates. They dodged into a side door as the men poured in onto the main floor. Dante led her behind a tumbled shelving unit, silencing her with a finger pressed to his lips.
She caught her breath as the sound of voices echoed. "Search all of it. If she left any sign of herself, we need to erase it."
Raven's heart pounded against her ribcage. They were aware of Valeria.
Dante gestured for her to come along. They moved at the edge of the warehouse, inched towards an exit. Just short of reaching it, Raven's gaze fell on something shiny under a flipped-over chair. A tiny, fragile-looking silver locket.
Her hand closed over it reflexively. She opened it and her breath hitched. There was a small, creased photograph inside—Valeria, smiling, arm around a woman Raven didn't know.
She didn't have time to register it before Dante pulled her forward. "Now's not the time."
They exploded into the night air, the chilly wind slapping Raven across the face. She needed to laugh maniacally and prance around in circles. This is the easiest it has ever been. But she wasn't thinking about the risk anymore. She was thinking about the locket in the palm of her hand.
Valeria had left a trail. And Raven was going to decipher exactly what it said.