"This way!" Hannah cried, pointing to the doorway they'd just passed to one of the mid-level floors. Katie followed her into another hallway on the floor where the castle's serving staff lived.
This hall was smaller and narrower. Hannah stopped at an intersection, and Katie took her hand again, continuing down the hall toward the second stairwell.
Her breathing as loud and ragged as Hannah's, Katie paused for a deep breath inside the larger stairwell. Hannah draped an arm over her, gasping for breath. Katie heard nothing pursuing them and closed her eyes, focusing hard. Rhyn's energy filled her. She visualized the portal and the basement. As soon as the portal appeared, she dragged Hannah through it, racing to the glowing door on the other side.
Only when they both emerged into the basement did she stop to catch her breath. Hannah dropped to the floor beside her, and Lankha inched away while Toby smiled.
"Master Kris has ordered an evacuation," Henri, Kris's secretary, said as he approached. "He said you'd know where to go, Katherine."
She nodded, sucking in air.
"How did you do that?" Hannah asked, turning to her. "We were somewhere else …"
"I'll explain later," Katie promised. "I'm not waiting for any demons to find us. Lankha, pick up Toby."
She closed her eyes and focused again.
They crossed unimpeded through the portal and onto the island Sanctuary, one of four such sites bridging the mortal and immortal worlds. Sanctuaries were managed by a convent of women who cared for the lost and injured. Katie didn't recognize the woman who greeted them and ushered them into the small fortress on an undeclared-- hidden by magic-- island in the Caribbean. She led them into a courtyard lined on all four sides with lopsided doors.
"Master Kris said you were coming. We have several refugees here already," the woman in the long brown robe said. "We're assigning quarters as soon as they arrive and providing a hot meal afterwards. Ladies, you are in these two rooms." She pointed to two doors. "The healer can stay there, and the angel-- "
"With me," Katie said.
"Then you can take the larger of the two rooms. I'll wait while you look around your quarters."
Katie knew from experience there wasn't much to see. Lankha was nearly buckling under the weight of Toby. She opened the door to her tiny room, taking in the two twin beds with sagging metal frames. Lankha set Toby down on one before they joined Hannah in the courtyard.