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Reality is fluid? I frowned, trying to puzzle that out.
The bird ruffled its feathers, distracting me from my thoughts. It leaped up into the air, preparing to leave. Key should be arriving now. Be ready.
And it disappeared into a wisp of smoke.
Opening my eyes, my mind churned with what the bird had told me.
A slight clang-clang sounded off down a corridor, coming closer. Pausing, I wondered if Hermes was returning. Several hours had passed already, and he hadn’t left either food or water for me. He must want me weak or dead.
I chuffed. Well, he definitely wanted me to suffer and for me to know he held my life in his hand. No way I was going to give him that pleasure.
The clanging grew louder, as if someone was banging something metal against the bars of every cell they passed. An enormous rat appeared, carrying something in its mouth. The object was long and thin, and extended far enough on one side it was what had been hitting the metal as it scurried through the hallway.
It stopped in front of me, dropping the item. I stared back at it, trying to determine what I was seeing.
It was the largest rodent I had ever seen. In fact, I had only seen some similar in books. Struggling to remember what its name was, I just couldn’t pull it up. Whatever it was called, it didn’t live anywhere near where I did, in the northeastern states.
No, it was from somewhere further south.
Capy… Capybara! Yes! That is what it was.
I studied it. My wolf whined. The thing was massive, about half my size, and probably weighed as much as I did in my fur coat. How had it arrived here in Delphi and what had led it through the tunnels to me?
It chirped and squeaked at me, its tone insistent. Standing, I crept to the bars. It pushed the object towards me with its square snout, chirping and clucking its tongue again.
I reached one paw out and pulled the item closer.
It was a bar of thin metal with notches on the end. This was the key?
Damn! I would have to shift back to human in order to use it. I needed hands for that.
Turning around, I went back to the bench while the giant rat berated me. I ignored it, shifting back and dressing once again.
When I turned to go retrieve the key, its little eyes widened, and it skittered back to the far wall. It must not have been expecting me to see me as a human. Grinning, I sauntered back, bending over to pick it up. Using my hands, I found my way over to the door of my cell.
This wouldn’t be easy. I couldn’t see anything down here as human. And I would have to find a small hole on the other side of the door, insert the key, and hope it would only take turning it to get me out of here.
Holding it in my right hand, I eased over to the panel on the door where the keyhole should have been. I felt around for the hole with my left hand.
Where was the damn thing? Shit! Shifting the key to my left hand, I tried to locate the hole with my right.
Nope, nothing.
I ran my fingers higher than I expected on the plate and then lower, not finding anything.
The capybara chirped at me, its tone berating me.
“I am trying!” I growled back at it, searching for the darn hole. Attempting to search for it again with my left hand, I forgot I held the key in it as well. Slapping it up against the metal plate, I dropped it just as something clicked.
I froze.
The giant rodent stilled.
I listened, but the quiet overwhelmed me. Bending down to retrieve the key, I kept one hand on the bar. Which wasn't good because the door swung open, causing me to fall on my face across the entrance.
Hell's fire! I got up onto my hands and knees, glaring towards where I figured the giant rodent was standing.
“You think someone would have mentioned this was a magnetic lock,” I grumbled.
