Page 51 of Truth Revealed

Avoiding the weak spots in the floor, he darted to the window to check the back lawn. No one was outside, but it was only a matter of time before they had the house surrounded. They needed to act fast or…

“Has anyone called the others?” he demanded, and turned to face them.

Pain nodded his head. “Death called just before—they’re on their way back.”

“What about Daria?” he inquired, worry dripping from his tone, and he instantly wished he hadn’t said anything.

“I haven’t heard from her,” Sofia replied softly. “Did something happen?”

Truth technically had no way of knowing about the attack at the bar, so he swallowed his worry and shook his head. “I don’t know. Let’s just focus on getting you guys safe, and we can go from there.”

“Uh, Truth—I don’t think we’re gonna be able to run,” Pain observed, and pointed out the window.

Truth’s stomach dropped as he focused his attention on the lawn outside. Two demons stood out back, faces trained toward the house. But a shock of blond hair caught his eye and he pulled out his phone.

“Shit, where are the others?” he hissed, sending Youth a text message under the cover of his worry.

A tentative idea formed and he glanced down at the figures below again.

“Okay, so there’s only two out back,” he told Pain. “That’s only two. There are four of us.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know how many are inside.”

“Exactly. I think the back is our best bet. Can you swim?” He turned to Persy and Sofia.

Sofia shook her head and Truth frowned before glancing at their pier. Safety devices lined the walkway. His gaze fell to the flat edge of the roof below.

“That’s fine, we can make it work. We’re gonna have to go out the window.”

“That’s… a long drop,” Pain murmured with a swallow.

“He’s afraid of heights,” Persy explained, making them both jump from how close she was. “We need to hurry. They’re getting closer,” she warned.

She was right. Steps pounded down the hallway as they threw, open doors and shouted.

“Well, he’s gonna have to get over it,” Truth growled, and quietly opened the window. It was the only open space between the bed and Persy’s desks. It didn’t squeak or cry out in protest, and Truth guessed he had the Fates to thank for that.

As he placed one foot out the window and onto the slanted roof below, the two demons on the grass turned away and faced the water.

“Hurry, they’re distracted,” Persy hissed.

I know. You’re welcome, Truth thought, although he refrained from saying it aloud.

“Grab your bed sheet,” he instructed, and her blonde head disappeared into the darkness of the room.

As soon as he had a foot planted on the level part of the roof, he turned around with a hand extended.

“Sofia,” he hissed, and she came, placing one foot on the windowsill and then hopping over. Her hands were shaking, that was clear even in the shadows. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

All he saw when he looked at her was the young, innocent swaddle of blankets in Samena’s arms at the hospital, grown into the toddler they’d lost. And then the young woman before him. He would do anything to protect her—and Daria too. Including lie to them.

A cloud of white hit him in the face and he glared before slapping the sheets down. He tied the two ends together twice before having Sofia place her foot into the knot. “Now grab the two edges, and don’t let go,” he whispered. “I’m going to lower you down. This won’t reach all the way to the bottom, so jump when you can and then hide in the bushes.”

She nodded, her face pale and eyes wide, and he only prayed to the Fates she really understood what he was saying.

The whole thing probably took less than a few seconds, his arms flexing and feet sore by the time he felt the blanket go slack. Pain joined him on the roof and then Percy went down next.

“Dude, you’re a lot bigger than I am,” Truth said to Pain once Persy hid, wiping sweat off his brow.