Before they could leave, the fire alarm erupted.
Smoke rushed beneath the archive door.
Someone had set the floor below them on fire.
Manuel grabbed the blue folder while Rosalie reached for Lorelei’s notebook.
A burning beam crashed between them.
Through the smoke, Rosalie saw a shadow slide the heavy bolt across the outside of the door.
They had been locked inside.
Then part of the ceiling collapsed onto Manuel.
For twelve years, Emmett had taught Rosalie that she was weak and useless.
That night, her strength saved both their lives.
She lifted the burning beam high enough for Manuel to pull free, supported him through a hidden service tunnel, and repeatedly struck the swollen exit door until the lock broke.
They collapsed onto the wet grass as flames consumed the archive room.
Lorelei’s notebook remained safely inside Rosalie’s coat.
They sheltered in an abandoned chapel at the edge of the estate.
