I went through the main level and saw no signs of a struggle or battle. It looked just as it did when I left for the Earthly Realm. I checked the second story. And like the main level, it was empty and free of any signs of a fight or the others.
Ignoring all stealth, I raced down the basement stairs. I abruptly stopped, causing Muffin to run into the back of my legs. A steel partition dividing the area. The first thought that came to my mind was a panic room. I threw myself out at, banging on it. Muffin howled.
“Zander, Jennica, Callie, are you guys in there?”
Were the others trapped behind this? Or is someone being held captive? That last thought gave me pause. Was I letting out a dangerous person? But, if someone was being imprisoned, then one of the others would be here guarding them, wouldn’t they?
I couldn’t hear anything through the metal. I ran along the partition, but couldn’t find any seams, knobs, or any way to get through it. I switched out my sword for my gun. I took aim and shot the partition. The only response I got was a ringing in my ears from the rounds echoing in the small area. Unfortunately, I didn’t even make a dent in the metal. Dang it.
I tried the gun one more time. The second I pulled back the trigger, someone violently jerked me back. My arms were wrenched painfully behind my back. My gun was knocked out of my hands and I was lifted off my feet.
My magic abruptly cut out. It was muffled to the point where I couldn’t feel it at all. Although, I didn’t exactly trust myself to use magic inside Lochlan’s house. My horrible magic was too destructive and unstable, but it would have been nice to have it as an option for escape.
I listened, but couldn’t hear any sound.
“Show yourself, you coward.”
Nothing. A sudden movement caught my attention. I looked for the source of the movement and saw vines sprouting from the ceiling. I leaned my head back and sure enough my captor was none other than more dangling vines.
What started as just my arms being bound slowly became a full body imprisonment. As the course rope-link vines wrapped around me, they scraped and tore at my skin. The more I struggled the tighter the vines squeezed me. Muffin growled, biting viciously at the restraints with no effect on them.
“Sterling, Lochlan, new fae guy! I could use some help here.”
I hadn’t expected them to respond. Calling out was more wishful thinking than anything.
I continued fighting against the vines. Every time I fought them; the pressure increased. I finally stopped when the pressure on my chest made it difficult to breath. If I died, I certainly wouldn’t be able to help the others.
Even though I’d stopped struggling, the vines continued creeping towards my face. Before long, my mouth and the rest of my face was covered. I hung there suspended like a marionette. Muffin alternated between whining and growling.
My thoughts churned. This couldn’t be what happened with the others. I wouldn’t have missed people hanging from vines.
I couldn’t do anything besides think. I’m not sure how much time had passed. Muffin finally gave up on his growling.
“Gods above Marty, let me get you down,” said Lochlan. I heard him approach. “Actually, you being tied up is a good look for you.”
“And you’re hilarious. I’ve been up here for who knows how long and that’s what you have to say. Just get me down.”
Instead of taking on the wicked weeds, Lochlan whispered a spell and the vines released me. So much for being worried about me getting hurt.
I rubbed my arms and legs to get feeling back in them. I couldn’t feel my legs, so I certainly wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon.
“Care to explain why you have man-eating vines in your house. And, more importantly, in the area I sleep in?”
“You’re in one piece. And, they only come out when the alarm is triggered, so they won’t be nabbing you in the middle of the night,” said Lochlan.
“Where’s Sterling? He activated the emergency alert, or I’d be back on the Earthly Realm, working my case.”
“What about the others?”
“I came down here to get them out of the safe room.”
“It would have been nice to have some warning about a safe room, so I didn’t go all Rambo and attack it.”
“Are you going to fill me in on what warranted an emergency alert?” I asked.
“Let me get the others free and we can talk about what prompted the emergency alert,” he said.
I rubbed my legs to get the blood flowing back into them. The vines left angry-looking red marks that crisscrossed my skin.
Lochlan used another spell and the metal partition sank into the floor, revealing Jennica and Callie. I went over to join the two women, who were wide-eyed and shaking.
“Are you two okay?” I asked.
“Yes, but it was scary. Lochlan rushed us down here and didn’t say anything. It’s been a couple of hours,” said Callie.
“I’m glad you’re okay, but where’s Zander?”
“I don’t know,” said Callie. “Ask Lochlan. He sent us down here and then took off with Sterling and Elon.”
“Seeing how he’s already left, let’s join the others and get some answers,” I said.
We joined the rest of the group in the living room. Sterling was covered with scratches and cuts. Elon’s lip was split. And now that I got a good look at Lochlan, he wasn’t using one of his arms. It just laid limply at his side.
“When is anyone going to say where Zander is and what is going on?” I said.
“Relax Marty. No one’s dead,” said Sterling.
“Because that is such great reassurance. Can you tell us what’s going on now, or is there something else we are waiting on?” I asked.
“After you left, Elon and Lochlan started the morning training. We did
