Free The Silkie's Woman by Claire Cameron

know Set is inside, but I can't sense him either. There are still some lights on in the building, so it's possible someone else might still remain. If you hear anything, and I mean anything, come back to the window and get out as fast as you can. "
    Urlon reached for Megan's pack. As he unzipped it, Megan gathered up her hair and twisted a scruncii she had had in her pocket around it, getting it up out of the way. Urlon yanked out the pair of gloves she had put in the pack and shoved his large hand into one, stretching it to the ripping point. He wrapped the other glove around his knuckles, then crouched down so he was closer to the window.
    "I hope no one is on this level." He sucked in a harsh breath as he drew back his hand and shattered the glass with one quick blow. Slivers remained attached to the window frame and he used the side of his hand to knock them in.
    Megan went down onto all fours and backed her feet and legs into the window, scooting in until only her shoulders and head were visible. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," she whispered.
    The drop to the floor was short, and her feet made only a light slap as they hit. The inside was dark, although she could see light from under a door across the room. She tiptoed across the floor, wincing as her feet crunched on the broken glass. Her hand reached out to the doorknob and hesitated there for a minute as she waited to see if any sounds outside the door indicated a person in the building. The door opened easily, and the stairs that led up were right across a narrow hallway.
    Megan made her way up the stairs and into another small hallway full of doors. There were glass windows that looked into some of the rooms, but Megan didn't pause to see what lay within. She hurried to the door at the end of the hallway that stretched towards the front of the building. The door to the outside must be there, she thought. So far Urlon had been wrong about any danger. Things were moving like greased lightning. The door to the outside appeared to have an alarm rigged to it, but a code was listed right above it and Megan typed it in, hoping the numbers were the unlocking mechanism. Sure enough, the blinking red light turned green, and Megan pushed against the bar to open the door. Urlon was waiting impatiently on the other side.
    He brushed past her, loping down the hall with easy grace. Megan followed, nearly running into his back as he stopped at one of the doors. This room had no windows, so she couldn't see what was within. Megan watched as Urlon's hand, trembling wildly, gripped the knob before shoving it open. The room had been dark, but lights shot on; apparently they were on sensors. A figure huddled on a raised platform hospital bed. Megan slipped past Urlon and moved towards the bed. She looked back to see if he was following her in, and she saw his face whiten as he moved farther into the room.
    "I can't enter, Megan. They have lined the inner walls here with lead, a deadly substance to my people. No wonder Set can't respond. He's being slowly poisoned. You will have to get him out of the room, Megan." Anguish tinted his voice, and Megan was surprised to see the glimmer of liquid at the corner of his eyes.
    "I can do it, Urlon, I'm much stronger than I look. He'll be out of here in no time." Megan began to unhook the EKG monitors from Set's chest and forehead, unstrapping his bonds and carefully removing his IV, pressing the sheets to the hole to stop the bleeding.
    When everything was off, she paused a minute to look around the room. She didn't see anything that might help her, just a bunch of unfamiliar machines. Pulling on the bottom sheet might make it easier to drag his heavy body, she thought, and gave the sheet a yank. Sure enough, Set slid right to the very edge of the bed. Megan propped her lower body against the bed and yanked again, pulling his feet and legs all the way off of the bed. When she moved her body slightly, he slid further down until only his shoulders were