I ran through the rain as thunder echoed in the distance, lighting striking across the sky as electricity seemed to ripple through the air. By the crackle of light, I could catch glimpses of the buildings around me as well as the guardians soaring through the air as they beckoned us to get to safety.

A thick tornado had been spotted in the distance, its howling winds making the ground shudder. Wind whipped through my hair, rain blinding my vision as I sloshed through puddles. The dining hall loomed in front of me as I darted towards its central doors.

I yanked it back, the wind snatching it from my hands as it collided with the cobble wall in a mighty bang like that of a roar. Dripping, I raced in, scanning the empty hall before cursing under my breath.

Where the hell was Finn?

Pulling my cloak tighter around my head, I threw myself out into the storm, war cries of thunder making my ears burn as I clamped my hands over them. Monsoons of rain were pouring down in buckets, the wind threatening to knock me off my feet, I could hear the faint snapping of wood in the distance, trees crumbling on top of one another as my feet echoed against the gravel.

Doors and windows were being locked all around me, each building in the process of lockdown as guardians scrambled around one another like a furious bee hive.

"Stratton!" Raphael's voice boomed with the thunder, lightning etching over my head and illuminating his outline in the air. His wings flapped as he hit the ground in front of me, wet in rain water with a feral look in his eyes as he grabbed my arm. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

He didn't even give me time to answer before dragging me across the courtyard, his skin practically steaming with heat under the chill of the storm. "I was looking for him!" I screamed back at him, my voice lost in the cries of the thunder.

Regardless he still heard me, eyes glowing with a savage light. "He is fine! And he lose his head if he knew you were still out here!"

As Cybele had said, Raphael did know about Finn and I, and from the look on his face, he found my concern for the guardian quite childish. I ground my teeth together. "He didn't come back to my room once the storm began. I got worried, Raphael! Have you seen him?"

"I have, and he is safe." I was pulled around one of the buildings and into a doorway. The wind yanked the door from Raphael's fingers, making him curse as he struggled to pull it closed against the force of the gale.

He snapped the door shut, shaking the water from his wings as he glared at me. I stood, giving him a look of my own in return. "I want to be with him."

"He's in here somewhere." Raphael snarled in return, making my eyes widen. He clenched his jaw, his eyes flickering as though he wanted to say something else. There was an element in his features that reflected worry, a hesitation in his decision. With a string of curses, he pounded his fist against the wall. "Fuck it! He is done with this charade! I am done catering to him! Best of luck, Kate. Get to the basement before I change my mind!"

He threw something at my feet and ripped the door open, disappearing into the darkness. The rain flew through the door along with the wind, blinded my eyes as it pummeled my face. I slipped on the floor, landing on my side as lightning shown through the doorway and Raphael's figure flew into the sky.

My heart pounded in my chest as the door slammed shut with the force of the wind, making me clamp my hands over my ears at the awful sound. I laid on the cold floor, resting my head against it as I panted for breath. Thunder echoed in the dark, empty hallway from outside, the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the space through the windows.

Windows. I need to get away from the windows.

I crawled up and off my knees, using my hands to try and wipe the rain off my body and face. My clothes stuck to my skin, my boots full of water as I walked and listened to them slosh with each step.

I found what Raphael had tossed to me, a black flashlight, and I held it in my hands, sliding the switch as light shown out from the end. The entire hall was now visible under the glow of the flashlight, looking eery and nefarious as shadows stretched across the floor.

It was oddly silent, feeling empty despite the fact that there had to be guardians. This led to the basement, the perfect place for a storm shelter. Perhaps they were all downstairs already?

My skin crawled as I pushed myself to walk into the gloomy hall that was looking more like a sewer. Rain pummeled down against the windows on my left side as I walked with a quick step. Lightning made me jump as it shone through the windows, creating shapes in front of me that looked more and more demonic as my mind wandered.

I wasn't in the Mimic, but the thoughts kept rolling back to me. Vampires and dark halls popped into my head, a horrid fear of turning a corner and meeting one of the sickening creatures from hell making me suck in a breath.

The soft red glow of the emergency crystals on the floor flickered on and off down the hall, leading me towards where the basement staircase sat. My stomach was in knots as I finally found the heavy door, glowing red with the lights and looking quite ominous under my flashlight's beam.

There are no demons here and the tornado is coming. I have to get underground.

I pulled the handle, the reinforced door creaking open with a deep echo down into the basement below. The sound made me shudder, the squeak rippling in the air like a low growl as I focussed my flashlight towards the staircase.

The stairs were wooden to my surprise and I stepped down on the first one, listening to it creak under my weight before the basement door shut on its own accord behind me. I swallowed, my heart pounding harder and harder against my ribs as I took another step down.

I moved slowly, the thunder a soft rumble overhead as my boots squeaked against the wood. I shone my flashlight around, shuddering as I looked around the pitch black basement. The red lights over head flickered on every few minutes or so, bathing the room in a wicked maroon glow before everything faded into blackness again.

My shoes hit the cement floor, water droplets from my cloak plopping against the ground as the only sound. It was darkly silent as I held my breath. No one was here besides me.

I thought Raphael had said Finn...?

My thoughts were interrupted by a vicious rumble of thunder, making my shoulders tense. I shivered, freezing in my soaked clothes. Holding my flashlight in a firm grip, I slid my arm through the sleeve before letting the other follow suit.

The cloak thudded against the floor and I grabbed it with one hand, resting it on the wooden railing of the stairs before brushing my wet hair from my face. There had to be blankets or clean clothes down here somewhere so I could wait out the storm. My chattering teeth overturned my childish fears of demons, and I walked deeper into the basement.

Long lines of shelves rested on either side of me, the purpose of this basement clear to me with all that it stored. I shone the flashlight down the rows of bins and storage containers, searching for any marked that would suggest it housed a dry blanket.

I walked a little longer before my freezing feet made me halt. Sinking to my knees, I slid down to sit before I started to untie my soaked boots. I unlaced one, turning it upside down as water sloshed onto the cement. I turned the second boot upside down as well and even more water poured out of it to create a chilly puddle beside me. I kept on my wet socks which felt warmer than the cold floor underneath my feet as I shifted up onto my knees.

The red lights flickered on for a moment as I readied myself to stand, my eyes looking up just as a dark, thick shadow slid along one of the rows of shelves in front of me. With the glow of the emergency lights, something glittered at me with a special sparkle, the kind that only a pair of eyes produce when the light hits them just right. 

My entire body went frigid cold as every muscle locked in place, my heart tense as I couldn't find the strength to breath. My fingers shook as I raised my flashlight off the floor towards where the shadow had slipped away.

I jerked my hand up, my flashlight coming into contact with the gruesome outline of a large beast behind the shelving. It was laid on the ground, crouched with its eyes watching me through a wire basket.

I couldn't tell what it was made of, hidden in the shadows of a larger bin above its huge head. A deep snarl left its throat as it blinked. It opened its mouth, exposing long teeth as it shifted to its feet. Claws scratched under the cement, its shape rising higher and higher behind the shelves.

Then the creature made a quick move towards me, and in the duration of one loud scream, I was on my feet.

I ran across the cement, my flashlight casting beams of light in all directions as it swung in my hand. My chest was on fire as I willed my legs to run as fast as they could carry me, my wet socks slapping against the floor.

Racing towards the wooden staircase, my feet flew out from underneath me as I slipped. I landed hard on the ground, the weight of my body and knees crushing against the ground in harmony with a loud crackle of thunder as I let out a cry of pain. The creature let out a deathly howl very close to me, and I scrambled up again.

My eyes were wet with tears, my damp hair stuck to the back of my neck as I willed myself not to fall again. My flashlight was gone to my misery, glowing behind me where I'd fallen. I could make out the faint outline of the staircase under the hum of the red lights before they flickered off, making me curse in terror as I ran blind.

I knew I was growing close to the staircase, but I was halted when I slammed against something hard in front of me. I screamed as something grabbed a hold of me, trying to claw off whatever was gripping me in the darkness. I slid on my socks again, falling backwards against the staircase as something heavy weighed down on top of me.

My scream was about to echo from my throat again just as the red lights flickered on above my head. The outline of Finn's face glowed a warm amber as he looked down at me with wild eyes. His hands held my wrists as he panted, and I blessed Fate for sending an angel.

"Finn! We have to go! Something's down here!" I cried, taking his hands in mine now as I stood to my feet on the wooden stair. "Come on!"

The man didn't move even when I pulled on his arms, making me suck in a worried breath as I tried to look around in the darkness.

"Finn?" I said under my breath, my eyes focussed now on his under the red of the light.

"We're safe, Kate." His voice was deep and husky. "We're the only ones down here." He didn't sound quite right, making me suck in a breath.

"No, Finn, we aren't. I saw it back there! It... it...." My voice faded as his pleading blue eyes gazed up into mine, realization sparking inside me a piece at a time.

The creature was Finn.