Gene froze when he heard Valdis's voice. He knew, intellectually, that he would not be harmed within the walls of the Midnight Hotel, not unless Valdis wished to incur Anton's wrath and banishment from the premises, but his heart started beating faster and he tensed up regardless.

Before he could answer - before he decided if he even wanted to answer - she moved away, and it took a long minute before he was able to convince himself that it was okay to breathe again.

Within a quarter of an hour, he'd made his way downstairs to the lobby, loitering at more than lunging distance away in case it turned out to be a trap. He didn't say a word, waiting for her to speak first.