“What do you want?” I stood with my feet planted on the surface, waiting for her demands or her to try and kill me. It wasn’t easy to retain a level head knowing it might be my last moment on earth. I wasn’t going to be afraid. I was doing this to save Adelaide, Henry, and the entire town of Spade.
“You, dear. Just you.” Isaura grinned as a wave of smoke erupted around us. Her arms came up with it and I grimaced as I tried not to cough. I felt myself incapable of moving. She’d done something to me, made it impossible for me to run. I was paralyzed.
“Isaura?” I choked, barely able to get the words to my lips as the air around us was impossible to breathe. With the smoke followed a dense fog and my body grew rigid for another minute before finally falling to the floor in a heap. My eyes blurred and grew heavy. The ground beneath us didn’t change but the castle behind us had vanished. “What happened? Where’s Spade?” Had she destroyed it and those people inside? My head throbbed as though I’d be beaten with a brick.
“Not where but when.” Isaura laughed darkly. “I wanted to show you this land before Spade was erected.” I struggled to stand, dusting my legs of dirt as I took in the sight around me. It was all open fields. “2225,” she said. “When Cabal had won independence from the Republic of China.”
“Why are we here?” I didn’t understand the significance. Unless she intended to kill me in the past so no one would ever find my body. I wouldn’t put it past her.
Isaura waved her hands and our surroundings changed again. I had preferred the open fields and 2225 to this place. “Welcome home,” she smirked. We were in a cellar. The room was dark, the walls made of cement and smelling of mildew.
“Excuse me?”
Isaura smiled. “You have two choices. Save your dying husband or kill me.” She waved her hand once more and Joshua appeared on the floor. His face bloody, his leg badly twisted. Isaura retreated a few steps before vanishing. I cursed under my breath as I rushed to Joshua’s side and bent down.
“Josh, can you hear me?” My hand reached down towards his head, examining the damage.
Touching his warm skin, Joshua groaned in protest. At least he was still alive. I closed my eyes and focused on him the same way I had when I’d healed the injury to his chest. It took less time than I remembered as my fingers glowed amber. Slowly the marks faded against his skin. Joshua’s eyes fluttered open, staring up at me. “Where am I?” He grimaced as he moved to sit up. Although the injuries had healed, it still didn’t erase the fact we were locked in a cellar. I had no idea where we were or when we were. Considering Isaura had found a way to travel through time, I didn’t trust our surroundings.
“I don’t know. Can you get up?” I asked, helping Josh to his feet. His body trembled but he didn’t protest or complain. He was always tough, no matter the situation.
“This looks a little too familiar,” he muttered. “How do we get out of here?”
“I have no idea,” I breathed, glancing at him relieved even in the dark cellar with no windows I could see a faint overhead light. “To use Mindonsiphan, I need a mirror or something for a portal. I can’t just make us disappear into thin air.”
“Why not?” Joshua coughed, grimacing as I glanced him over yet again. My fingers found their way into his hair, trying to study his eyes and then down and across his chest. “I’m fine,” he insisted.
“It doesn’t work that way.” I threw my arms up into the air, frustrated. “Why does she want us?” I couldn’t fathom why she’d kidnap us and lock us in a cellar.
Joshua paced the length of the room, feeling over the concrete walls. There was no indication of a door anywhere. “She’s working for the new government.”
“No way. It’s not possible.” I couldn’t believe the system was involved in her plans. The cellar was bigger than the one at my mother’s house, but smaller than our bedroom in Shadow. I missed home even more now. I touched my palms to the cold cement. We were deep underground. I didn’t want to consider we could die in here.
“I don’t know when she approached them but I’m sure of it,” Joshua answered. My eyes adjusted to the faint light. Joshua’s hand was trembling. He may have been trying to sound brave, but his exterior was crumbling. “Isaura saw what you did with those men. I still can’t believe you were able to set them on fire.” His eyes locked with mine. He was curious how I’d been able to do it. So was I. “She told the new government you’re a monster and they put a bounty out on you. Anyone treated with Mindonsiphan they ordered dead.”
“Funny Isaura forgot to mention to them that she injected herself with it.” It didn’t matter what she’d done. It was only a matter of time until others would come after us. No one was safe.
“What are we going to do?” Joshua asked. His hand hit the cement, we were trapped. There wasn’t much chance of help finding us.
“Our best weapon, Joshua, is you.” I stared at him, my gaze unwavering. “I don’t think she realizes what you’re capable of.”
Joshua reached out his hand to stroke my cheek as he approached. I remembered our encounter with Isaura. She’d wanted me because of what I was worth to her. She hadn’t known there were others just like me. It was our greatest defense, as was Henry if he learned how to use his abilities. “We need to get out of here and back to Spade.” I maneuvered away from Joshua, feeling over every wall. There was no indication of a way out. “With all four of us together, we have a fighting chance.”
“The four of us?” Joshua repeated.
“Henry, Cate, you and me.” I couldn’t tell if he was relieved or agitated that I said Henry’s name. I wouldn’t ask Adelaide to help us. She was still a child, but Henry was capable if he studied and trained for a few weeks’ time.
Joshua glanced towards the ceiling. “You’ve got me thinking, there has to be another way out. Someone built this place and unless they intended for themselves to die, we’re missing something.”
I followed his gaze and saw the slightest discoloration on the ceiling. “Lift me up,” I demanded.
He paused for a moment before giving in. I was lighter: it would be easier for him to lift me than vice versa. It took only a second for me to find my way on his shoulders. My body shook as he lifted me. I wasn’t sure if I trembled from nerves or from fearing he’d drop me. Once in the air and my feet secure on his shoulders, I felt over the ceiling. “It’s wet.” I glanced down at Joshua. “Why do you think that is?”
“Push it?” I tried. Nothing budged. My fingers moved over the material looking down at my fingers realizing they were caked with dirt.
“I think the ceiling is made of earth.” I used both palms, jamming with all my force upwards, trying my best to lift the door. It inched but a slight creak followed.
“That’s it. Try again!” Joshua encouraged. I shifted on him and he gripped my legs tighter. I couldn’t look down again, the height made my stomach somersault. I bounced upwards slightly hearing him grimace but the force was enough to push the door free. The afternoon light poured in, temporarily blinding me. Seeing the outside world I wanted out faster.
My hands clawed at the earth, pulling myself up out of the small hole we’d been in and onto real ground. I lay motionless for a moment on my back, gasping for air.
“Olivia?” I heard Joshua’s voice and rolled around, glad no one kept watch. Moving towards the hole I reached my arms down. “I don’t think that’s going to work.” Joshua laughed. “I’ll pull you right back down. Go get help.”
“No way! I’m not leaving you,” I refused. “Let me just find something to help you climb out, wait there.”