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“This way!” Lucien said. This time he was so frantic he didn’t question his ability and it seemed to be second nature. I didn’t question it, I simply ran behind him down the hall.
We made it to a crossroads in the hall and turned, winding through a maze of hallways until we reached a metal gate. It was stretched across the double doors and a giant ‘restricted’ sign was tacked to it.
“Restricted, my ass,” I growled as I picked up a chunk of debris from the ground. The large chunk of cinderblock seemed solid so I slammed it into the lock. It crumbled under one hit and fell to the floor with a clang.
“You can’t go in there,” a bored voice said. We spun around to face a teenager. “You don’t want to do this.”
“We have no choice. My men are in there.”
“They’re hers now,” she said in a quiet voice and backed away.
“They’ll always be mine,” I shot back as I turned around and shoved the gate out of the way. Maybe opening the door was a bad call but there was no hesitation in my action.
I had to save them.
The hallway beyond was even worse off than what we’d encountered so far. The overhead lights hung down, wires exposed but dead. So much furniture and random things were strewn in the hall that navigating it wouldn’t be easy.
“Stay close, I don’t like this,” Lucien said as he forged ahead. I wasn’t going to argue, I could use his strength right now.
I was fucking terrified.
A low breeze whistled through the hall, the chill of it making me shiver. Something heavy hung in the air.
This place felt unnatural.
Our footsteps echoed as we picked our way down the hall. A banging ahead had me picking up the pace but when Eli’s screams filled the air, I threw caution to the wind. The need to reach him was too strong.
Somehow I managed to not fall and break my neck on the junk I hurdled to get to him.
A sign on the door had my eyes going wide.
Solitary confinement. Padded rooms can only be entered by authorized staff.
Honestly, it was a miracle we heard him at all. I had a feeling he was screaming his head off and banging but it was muted through the thick metal door and padding inside.
“Don’t yell back,” Lucien warned in a low voice as he tugged at the knob. “Fuck, it’s locked.”
It wasn’t often he cursed but right now we were all frantic. He closed his eyes and took a breath before turning and walking two doors down. I followed him inside, surprised to find a security office.
Why did this look like a prison or asylum? Weren’t we in an orphanage?
Lucien snagged a set of keys from the wall and hurried back. The lock protested with a loud groan but he managed to fight it open after a few tries. The door swung open and Eli nearly toppled out.
“Thank god,” he said, face pale. He pulled me into a hug, clinging to me. I could feel him shake as I held him tight.
“I’m sorry, we’re here,” I reassured him. “Let’s get out of here. Wait. Where’s Jayce?”
“Not with me,” he said. His somber tone had me turning to Lucien. He was already walking down the hall, stopping in front of a door and opening it. Jayce tumbled out, eyes rolling back before he collapsed.
Lucien picked him up like he weighed nothing before nodding to the door.
“Outside. Now.”
We didn't argue. Instead, we led the way, holding open doors as we wound our way back to the entrance.
Whatever we thought we’d find here… we were wrong.
This was dark and hungry, it wanted something from us and I didn’t know what.
