In that split second of distraction, Caleb lunged forward.

He threw his shoulder into my chest, catching me off balance.

I stumbled back against the rough stone wall, losing my grip on his shirt.

Caleb scrambled to his feet, running toward the dark corridor on the left.

“Stop him!” I shouted, recovering my balance.

Daniel lunged, but his foot slipped on the loose gravel.

Caleb was fast, driven by raw panic.

He headed straight for the narrow passage that led to the upper gardens.

Nora was still leaning against the pillar, struggling to stand.

She saw him coming.

She didn’t cry out.

With a sudden, desperate surge of strength, she swung her injured leg outward.

Her foot caught Caleb’s ankle just as he tried to leap past her.

Caleb tripped, his momentum carrying him forward.

He hit the stone floor face-first with a dull crack.

The breath rushed out of him in a loud gasp.

Before he could push himself up, Daniel was on him.

Daniel drove his knee into Caleb’s back, pinning him to the ground.

Caleb groaned, his face pressed against the dirt.