On the other side of the stone, muffled curses flared up, followed by the frantic sound of boots fleeing down other corridors. They had passed.
But in the secret passage, the silence was even heavier. Dylan strained his ears. Not a breath, not a scratch. Only the dull thud of his own heartbeat and the rustling of his too-quick breathing. The air was still, thick like damp velvet. He felt a massive presence behind him, warm and animal, and the smell of sweat and rusty iron that Julius exuded.
"Don't just stand there, bag of bones," Julius growled, his voice low and vibrating in the tight space. "Move. Slowly. The walls have ears here. And other things."
