(JASPER'S POV)
Gilbert wasn't answering, and I was seconds away from losing my mind.
I dressed so quickly I nearly put my shirt on backward. Then I snatched the Heart of the First Night from its box, grabbed several other artifacts that might prove useful, and shoved everything into my pockets. I didn't bother checking whether I had taken the right things. If I needed something and didn't have it, I would deal with that problem when it arose.
"Gerald!" I shouted toward the stairs. "Guard the house. Don't let anyone in."
A low, unpleasant sound came from beneath the staircase.
"Yes, yes. Eat whatever you want while I'm gone."
I didn't wait for a response.
