fear. These two waded in, took care of matters, and discussed strategies while working. “Look, I don’t know what you two are talking about, but we need to get out of here now. Who knows what they’ll throw at us next.”
Nic went back the hall and yanked out the drawers on the dresser. The piece had some age to it that showed in the construction, with solid shelves for the drawers. He had leverage, but the darned thing still outweighed him by too much. Plus he had no way to get a strap or anything else around it.
“Will this help?” Cass handed him a crowbar.
Nic hefted the tool. “How attached are you to this dresser?”
“Not that attached.”
“Good.” Nic took the crowbar and ripped away at the bottom shelf.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting us out of here.”
They heard another crash.
“That sounded like the kitchen window,” Minerva said. “Better get a move on.”
“Cass, this piece is old enough that it’s pure wood and not composites. I don’t know if I believe in all this magic stuff, but if you really do have any powers, now would be a good time to use them. Can you break this up?” He hoped she could do what she claimed she could. If not, they would be in real trouble.
“Move out of the way.”
Nic and Minerva ducked into the doorway to the bathroom. Nic kept a grip on Cass’ arms and braced himself. He’d be damned if he would let her take any more injury. Then he noticed her arms and face. Less than ten minutes ago, she’d been bleeding from multiple cuts. He could still see the blood, but the cuts had disappeared. Gone. Not even a scratch to show where they’d been.
As he watched, Cass stood perfectly still. He couldn’t see her face, but imagined the look of concentration there. His eyes shifted from her to the dresser. It wobbled, then burst into splinters as he yanked her into the shelter of the doorway.
They emerged to find the heavy piece, as well as sections of the wall on either side, gone, replaced by a pile of rubble. They quickly cleared the debris to reach the door. Unfortunately, years of disuse had solidly rusted the hinges on the door. Smoke roiled from the kitchen. The wet towels around their faces helped, but not enough.
“Give me the crowbar,” Nic ordered. Between him and Cass, they made short work of the door and headed down the steps.
“Through the office,” Minerva said. She led the way through the connecting door.
“This is no good,” Nic said. “They’ll be waiting, whichever door we take.”
“Who said anything about going out the doors?” She led them down the steps to the basement. To Nic’s surprise, she easily shifted aside a set of shelves that looked like they weighed more than the Statue of Liberty, revealing a dark opening behind.
“Grab those flashlights,” Minerva said, pointing at a box on the shelves.
Nic flicked on the switch of one and shone it into the opening. “A tunnel? To where?”
“Your past.” Minerva all but shoved them into the opening, and then stepped back and swung the door shut, closing them into the dark.
“Aunt Minerva!” Cass shone her light on the doorway but she saw only a solid rock wall. “What the…?”
She and Nic ran their hands over the wall, pressing against the rocks.
“I’m guessing you didn’t know about this tunnel?” Nic asked after they’d searched every inch and several feet along the sides.
“No. And what did Aunt Minerva do? Why didn’t she come with us?”
Nic shrugged. “I’d say your aunt has more than a few secrets of her own.”
“I can move the stones and get us back out,” Cass said.
“To what? The people trying to burn you out? This is probably our best option.” He shone his flashlight down the tunnel. “Minerva wanted us to follow this tunnel, so I suggest we follow it.”
“I guess there’s no going back, is there? Okay, onward.”
“You might want to turn off your flashlight. Conserve the batteries since we have no idea where we’re
Nic went back the hall and yanked out the drawers on the dresser. The piece had some age to it that showed in the construction, with solid shelves for the drawers. He had leverage, but the darned thing still outweighed him by too much. Plus he had no way to get a strap or anything else around it.
“Will this help?” Cass handed him a crowbar.
Nic hefted the tool. “How attached are you to this dresser?”
“Not that attached.”
“Good.” Nic took the crowbar and ripped away at the bottom shelf.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting us out of here.”
They heard another crash.
“That sounded like the kitchen window,” Minerva said. “Better get a move on.”
“Cass, this piece is old enough that it’s pure wood and not composites. I don’t know if I believe in all this magic stuff, but if you really do have any powers, now would be a good time to use them. Can you break this up?” He hoped she could do what she claimed she could. If not, they would be in real trouble.
“Move out of the way.”
Nic and Minerva ducked into the doorway to the bathroom. Nic kept a grip on Cass’ arms and braced himself. He’d be damned if he would let her take any more injury. Then he noticed her arms and face. Less than ten minutes ago, she’d been bleeding from multiple cuts. He could still see the blood, but the cuts had disappeared. Gone. Not even a scratch to show where they’d been.
As he watched, Cass stood perfectly still. He couldn’t see her face, but imagined the look of concentration there. His eyes shifted from her to the dresser. It wobbled, then burst into splinters as he yanked her into the shelter of the doorway.
They emerged to find the heavy piece, as well as sections of the wall on either side, gone, replaced by a pile of rubble. They quickly cleared the debris to reach the door. Unfortunately, years of disuse had solidly rusted the hinges on the door. Smoke roiled from the kitchen. The wet towels around their faces helped, but not enough.
“Give me the crowbar,” Nic ordered. Between him and Cass, they made short work of the door and headed down the steps.
“Through the office,” Minerva said. She led the way through the connecting door.
“This is no good,” Nic said. “They’ll be waiting, whichever door we take.”
“Who said anything about going out the doors?” She led them down the steps to the basement. To Nic’s surprise, she easily shifted aside a set of shelves that looked like they weighed more than the Statue of Liberty, revealing a dark opening behind.
“Grab those flashlights,” Minerva said, pointing at a box on the shelves.
Nic flicked on the switch of one and shone it into the opening. “A tunnel? To where?”
“Your past.” Minerva all but shoved them into the opening, and then stepped back and swung the door shut, closing them into the dark.
“Aunt Minerva!” Cass shone her light on the doorway but she saw only a solid rock wall. “What the…?”
She and Nic ran their hands over the wall, pressing against the rocks.
“I’m guessing you didn’t know about this tunnel?” Nic asked after they’d searched every inch and several feet along the sides.
“No. And what did Aunt Minerva do? Why didn’t she come with us?”
Nic shrugged. “I’d say your aunt has more than a few secrets of her own.”
“I can move the stones and get us back out,” Cass said.
“To what? The people trying to burn you out? This is probably our best option.” He shone his flashlight down the tunnel. “Minerva wanted us to follow this tunnel, so I suggest we follow it.”
“I guess there’s no going back, is there? Okay, onward.”
“You might want to turn off your flashlight. Conserve the batteries since we have no idea where we’re
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