The Soul Healer by Melissa Giorgio Page B

My door was unlocked, just like Nina said. I figured I’d explore the floor, see if she was telling the truth about the elevator and stairwell also being locked. I was too keyed up, too saddened by my dream about Rafe to even attempt going back to sleep.
    Holding my breath, I stepped out into the hallway, waiting for an alarm to go off or maybe for Charles to pop out and start screaming at me.
    When nothing happened, I exhaled in relief and began my exploration of the darkened corridors.

    Chapter Fifteen
     
    Door after door. Wow, HQ was so exciting. Except that it wasn’t. And now I was lost. I smacked my hand against my forehead, wishing I had bothered to remember what number my room was. Might as well keep going. The elevator has to be around here somewhere.
    I turned a corner and yep, there it was. I rushed over, smashing the down button a billion times (because that makes it come up faster), but nothing happened. Frustrated, I kicked the door a couple of times, which was equally useless. And now my toes were throbbing. Argh! I pulled at my hair, opened my mouth, but decided at the last moment not to scream. Screaming would make the hunters come running , and I really, really didn’t want to see them tonight.
    Actually, if I could avoid ever seeing them again, that would be perfect.
    With the elevator ruled out, I decided to check out the stairs. Maybe someone had forgotten to lock them tonight. Yeah, like it would be that easy…
    The hallways were deserted, quiet, which was odd; I wondered if most of the hunters lived on other floors . I mean, every single room couldn’t possibly be occupied, could it? I could totally picture Nina being the only one living on the sixth floor. Although, if that were the case, then wouldn’t she have painted the whole damn floor pink? I shuddered at that horrible mental image and turned the corner, passing by an open door.
    Hold on. I backtracked on tiptoes and peeked in to see Philip in the middle of undressing. I froze, feeling like a pervert as I watched him shimmy out of a sweaty t-shirt and grab another one from a pile on his bed. He dressed quickly, but not before I saw a large scar on his left shoulder that looked like it hurt a lot. Was it from demon hunting? Still, how could I ask him about it? “Hi, I saw you undressing the other night—where’s that scar from?” Realizing that I didn’t want to be caught staring, I inched away, but the floor decided at that moment to creak, giving me away.
    Philip paused, looking up. “Gabiella?”
    Whoa. He remembered my name. My correct name. I knew I liked this guy for a reason. Even if he was currently staring at me oddly. Oh yeah, because I had been watching him undress. “Uh, hi. I’m not creepy, I swear.”
    “What?” Philip let out a surprised bark of laughter. “Oh, because you saw me change?” He laughed again. “It’s okay. I’m flattered, but I guess I should tell you what Scott said earlier is true. I like guys.” He ducked his head slightly, watching me through his eyelashes as he waited for my reaction. Like he was expecting me to denounce him on the spot and run away screaming before I caught his gay cooties.
    Instea d, I hopped into the room (geez, I was turning into Nina) and chirped, “Me too! What a crazy coincidence! No wonder we’re best friends!”
    His worried expression melted into pure relief. “Yeah, definitely.” Clearing a spot from his bed, he gestured for me to sit down. “So, what’s up?” he asked as I snuck a few glances around the room. It was cozy, Philip’s room. And not pink. Thank the universe it wasn’t pink. There were a few sports posters hanging on the walls, and instead of books on his bookshelf, it was crammed with weights. No wonder he’s so built, I thought. Dirty clothes were strewn everywhere—typical of every teenage boy that wasn’t Rafe the neat freak—and Philip hurried to pick them all up, stuffing them into a laundry bag.
    “I was sleeping and then I woke