need to look at the bigger picture. We have to find his last place of hiding and that means, we go through phase four of the plan.
Joey growled, pulling on the chain. He wasn’t going to allow phase four to happen, even if they all thought it was part of the plan.
“We can escape and get to a stone,” Julie said. “Play out the rest of our plan. Our friends are expecting us to do our part.”
Joey nodded. It was sensible . . . “But, this is a good opportunity. We could end it today, we could be done with this.” He wanted it to be over, to be rid of Marcus and anyone supporting him. Damn the worlds if they needed him.
“We can’t face him here,” Julie said. “We have to escape and get to a stone. Remember Hank, Gladius, and our fathers?” she looked at Lucas. “They have their plan and are expecting us to carry out ours. The stone isn’t far from here. We might have a chance.”
“Great, now how do we get out of these?” Joey clattered the chain on the stone floor.
“I’ve been working on mine for the last few hours. I have a metal spur on my chain.” She rubbed her arm next to her legs and Joey noticed the frayed leather on her shackles.
“How much longer?” Joey asked.
“Probably three hours.”
He winced at the number. He didn’t know what would happen next, but Marcus would be there soon and as badly as he wanted to confront him, he didn’t want to do it sitting tied to the floor.
“Queen, get back here,” Edith called out, but Evelyn was already crawling away from her. Edith reached, but her chains kept her seated. “She just jumped and pushed off me.”
“Evelyn,” Poly called. “Baby, come here. Come to Mommy.” She sniffed and extended her arms out as much as the restraints would allow.
“Ju-ju,” Evelyn said, determined on her path.
“Yeah, come to your Auntie Julie.”
Evelyn turned toward Julie and stopped at her foot. Joey leaned forward to get a view of what his daughter was doing.
“Come to me,” Julie said, but Evelyn kept out of her reach. “What are you doing, sweetie?”
“Ju.” Her baby brow furrowed. Not even old enough to have full-fledged eyebrows, her face crunched up in concentration with her hands on Julie’s leg strap.
“What—” Julie said and then gasped. The bolt attached to her strap broke in Evelyn’s hand. “How did you do that?” She stared at her freed leg. “Do the rest of them.”
Joey stared, unblinking at Evelyn as she moved to the next leg. He squinted and ignored Poly’s glare. If Evelyn was doing what he thought she was doing . . . There! She blurred for a split second and the bolt broke. “She’s speeding up and using it to break the restraints,” Joey said. “Evelyn, don’t do that. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
She giggled and moved to Julie’s hands. With both free, Julie jumped to her feet and picked up Evelyn. “You are one amazing baby girl. Yes, you are.” She gave her a hug, then handed her back to Edith.
Joey swallowed and watched his daughter laugh as Edith tickled her stomach. She was much more than any of them, and each day he saw her growing into something astonishing. He didn’t need to bring this up to Poly. The tears streamed down her face as she watched Evelyn.
“Now what?” Lucas asked.
Julie shook her head and pulled at Lucas’s chains. “I don’t know how she did it. These are heavy duty locks.”
“Queenie can do all sorts of stuff,” Edith boasted.
The door flung open.
Joey’s heart stopped; they were too late. Then he saw a single Arrack enter the room. Joey yanked at his restraints, but he knew the creature could kill them all without too much trouble. Julie balled up her fist as the Arrack approached. It stopped a few feet from her.
“I was sent here to help you. He’s coming soon. You need to leave,” it said, pushing a key into Lucas’s restraints.
“Who are you? Who sent you?” Julie asked.
Ignoring her question, he moved to free Poly. “He’s coming
Joey growled, pulling on the chain. He wasn’t going to allow phase four to happen, even if they all thought it was part of the plan.
“We can escape and get to a stone,” Julie said. “Play out the rest of our plan. Our friends are expecting us to do our part.”
Joey nodded. It was sensible . . . “But, this is a good opportunity. We could end it today, we could be done with this.” He wanted it to be over, to be rid of Marcus and anyone supporting him. Damn the worlds if they needed him.
“We can’t face him here,” Julie said. “We have to escape and get to a stone. Remember Hank, Gladius, and our fathers?” she looked at Lucas. “They have their plan and are expecting us to carry out ours. The stone isn’t far from here. We might have a chance.”
“Great, now how do we get out of these?” Joey clattered the chain on the stone floor.
“I’ve been working on mine for the last few hours. I have a metal spur on my chain.” She rubbed her arm next to her legs and Joey noticed the frayed leather on her shackles.
“How much longer?” Joey asked.
“Probably three hours.”
He winced at the number. He didn’t know what would happen next, but Marcus would be there soon and as badly as he wanted to confront him, he didn’t want to do it sitting tied to the floor.
“Queen, get back here,” Edith called out, but Evelyn was already crawling away from her. Edith reached, but her chains kept her seated. “She just jumped and pushed off me.”
“Evelyn,” Poly called. “Baby, come here. Come to Mommy.” She sniffed and extended her arms out as much as the restraints would allow.
“Ju-ju,” Evelyn said, determined on her path.
“Yeah, come to your Auntie Julie.”
Evelyn turned toward Julie and stopped at her foot. Joey leaned forward to get a view of what his daughter was doing.
“Come to me,” Julie said, but Evelyn kept out of her reach. “What are you doing, sweetie?”
“Ju.” Her baby brow furrowed. Not even old enough to have full-fledged eyebrows, her face crunched up in concentration with her hands on Julie’s leg strap.
“What—” Julie said and then gasped. The bolt attached to her strap broke in Evelyn’s hand. “How did you do that?” She stared at her freed leg. “Do the rest of them.”
Joey stared, unblinking at Evelyn as she moved to the next leg. He squinted and ignored Poly’s glare. If Evelyn was doing what he thought she was doing . . . There! She blurred for a split second and the bolt broke. “She’s speeding up and using it to break the restraints,” Joey said. “Evelyn, don’t do that. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
She giggled and moved to Julie’s hands. With both free, Julie jumped to her feet and picked up Evelyn. “You are one amazing baby girl. Yes, you are.” She gave her a hug, then handed her back to Edith.
Joey swallowed and watched his daughter laugh as Edith tickled her stomach. She was much more than any of them, and each day he saw her growing into something astonishing. He didn’t need to bring this up to Poly. The tears streamed down her face as she watched Evelyn.
“Now what?” Lucas asked.
Julie shook her head and pulled at Lucas’s chains. “I don’t know how she did it. These are heavy duty locks.”
“Queenie can do all sorts of stuff,” Edith boasted.
The door flung open.
Joey’s heart stopped; they were too late. Then he saw a single Arrack enter the room. Joey yanked at his restraints, but he knew the creature could kill them all without too much trouble. Julie balled up her fist as the Arrack approached. It stopped a few feet from her.
“I was sent here to help you. He’s coming soon. You need to leave,” it said, pushing a key into Lucas’s restraints.
“Who are you? Who sent you?” Julie asked.
Ignoring her question, he moved to free Poly. “He’s coming
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