“What do you want with us?” Bryn asked.
“I required Jaxon’s cuff links.” Adden held up his arm to show he had the cuff links in place on his sleeve ends. “Plus you’re my insurance policy and my bargaining chips. There’s only one way out of these vaults. I’m not going to strand myself without a get-out-of-jail-free card.” Adden pointed at Clint and Ivy. “These two are worthless to me, so if either of you tries anything I’ll drain them in front of you.”
“That’s just rude,” Clint muttered.
“Let’s go,” Adden said.
“Go where?” Bryn asked. “We can’t open the doors without a knight.”
“You can’t open them, but the guards stationed inside can.” He pointed at Derek. “Call them and explain the situation.”
Derek looked to Bryn. “What do you want me to do?”
It’s not like they had much of a choice. “Make the call.”
After a few terse comments on the phone, a door opened. Bryn expected to see the library table and stacks of books like she’d seen months ago. Instead, the room appeared sterile. There were file cabinets and desks crammed into the space, along with microscopes and lab equipment.
“That’s new,” Ivy said.
“What do you mean?” Adden asked.
“Before it was artifact-ey,” Clint said. “Now it’s all science-ey.”
The guard inside the room smirked at them. “Something I can help you with?”
“Where are the artifacts?” Adden asked.
“They’ve been removed for study,” the guard said.
“You’re lying. This is the most secure area. Where are you keeping them?”
“There are other doors,” the guard said. “Perhaps you should try one of them.”
Bryn sidled over to Jaxon. “He’s being awful agreeable.”
Jaxon’s face gave nothing away. “It’s his job to keep us alive. And to some extent, Clint and Ivy.”
“I heard that,” Clint said.
“Just stating a fact,” Jaxon said. “Adden, why don’t you let Clint and Ivy go, the guards aren’t as invested in their wellbeing.”
“But Bryn is,” Adden said. “So stop trying to out maneuver me.”
“Can we just get on with this?” Bryn asked. Maybe they could shove Adden into a room and trap him there.
“Do you want to try another room?” Derek asked.
“If you would be so kind,” Adden said.
A door which was slightly ajar appeared on the back wall.
“What’s in there?” Adden asked Bryn.
“Last time I was here it was a storage room for scrolls and books.”
“You can open the door,” Adden said. “Just in case the guard inside decides he wants to try something.”
Bryn stepped forward and opened the door. This room was all scienc-ey, too. There were microscopes and tables and a row of computers.
“Someone has been redecorating,” Bryn said.
Adden pushed past her. He looked all around the room. “Where are the artifacts?”
The guard inside said, “They pay me to sit here and open the door. I’ve never seen any artifacts unless they’re tiny slices on those slides.” He pointed at the boxes of slides near the microscopes.
“You think you’re so smart,” Adden said. “Where’s the next door?”
Jaxon placed a hand on Bryn’s arm and shook his head.
Suspicion confirmed. He was in on this.
The guard pointed to the right-hand wall. “Back out past the main room.”
“Show me,” Adden said.
Derek led them back past the first guard into the main room and down a hall to a normal door.
“This isn’t what I asked for,” Adden said.
“They store artifacts here. It’s the only way to access them.” Derek pulled out a set of keys and opened the door to a hallway.
Jaxon held Bryn’s arm so she wouldn’t enter behind Derek. “Follow my lead,” he said.
For now, she nodded. Later she’d yell at him.
The hallway had several visible doors. Adden walked to the first door and pulled it open. Inside were display cases with antique swords and daggers.
“That’s more like it.” Adden entered the room. “Come along.”
They shuffled in behind him. The cases resembled the ones that had poison dart defense systems. If a dragon tried to open a case containing artifacts which weren’t for his Clan, the cases would shoot arrows with enough poison to kill him in seconds.
Adden walked over and opened the case. Bryn held her breath and hoped to hear the zing of poison darts. Nothing happened. Damn it.
“Look at this.” Adden held up a ring featuring a giant sapphire. “Probably meant for a Blue.” He slid it on his finger and waited. Nothing happened.
“Just a pretty bauble?” Bryn said.
Adden frowned. He rifled through the case but didn’t find anymore jewelry. He stalked over to the other case. “There must be something here.” He pulled out daggers and swords, carelessly tossing them on the floor. “Aha.” He held up a ruby ring. “Reds don’t wear jewels like this. Only Blues. This must be something.” He put it on his left hand and closed his eyes.
Jaxon yanked Bryn backward out of the room. Clint and Ivy also lunged backward.
“Yes,” Adden said and a dagger of fire shot from his hand. He opened his eyes just as Derek slammed and locked the door.
“That won’t hold for long,” said Bryn.
“This way.” Jaxon tugged Bryn down the hall. Clint and Ivy followed. Derek dashed ahead and unlocked a door. “Inside. Quick.”
The sound of screeching metal was like nails on a chalkboard. Adden was breaking loose.
Derek locked the door with a deadbolt from the inside. They ran down a hall which led to some stairs. Up they went into a room without a door. Derek spoke on his phone and a door appeared on the back wall and swung open. They rushed through to a room with a dozen guards.
No way this was happening by coincidence. “You used yourself as bait and didn’t tell me,” Bryn said.
“I’ll explain later,” Jaxon said. They followed Derek to a real door which he opened with a key. Three of the guards came with them. They were in a stone hallway that tilted up at a mild angle. It reminded Bryn of when they’d walked under the library…forever. She spotted a playing card with the number two on it. “Shit. We’re a long way from the exit.”
“Not really,” Derek said. “But we should probably jog.”
“Nothing like running from a psychopath to make the Welcome Back to School party really special,” Clint said.
Chapter Thirty-Six
They jogged down a hallway, went up a set of stairs that seemed much newer than the surrounding stonework, jogged down another hall, and up more stairs until they reached a normal door that opened into a normal storage room full of books.
“Not to be ungrateful,” Bryn said. “But where are we?”
“Through that door is a hallway that leads to the landing and back up through the trap door into the library. Go and make sure Miss Enid locks the door,” Derek said.
“Adden has a key. What good will that do?” Clint asked.
“The lock is on the outside of the door,” Bryn said. “He can’t unlock it from this side, right?”
“That’s right,” Derek said. “We’re leading him into a trap.”
“But you’ll be trapped down here with him.” That didn’t seem like a smart idea.
“Your grandfather installed an emergency exit. If worse comes to worse, I can exit that way. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Now go.”
She did not like this.
The sound of a battle drifted to them from beneath their feet.
“He’s coming.” Jaxon tugged on her arm, so she went. They made their way to the landing, while the sound of fighting seemed to come from all around them.
“With all these damn tunnels you can’t tell where anything is coming from,” Clint said as they dashed up the stairs and through the trap door. Miss Enid stood there. For some reason Janelle was there, too.
“I’m sorry,” Miss Enid said.
“Janelle? What are you doing here?”
“Allow me to show you,” Janelle placed her hand on Miss Enid’s forearm and at first it seemed like nothing was happening. Then Miss Enid’s eyes closed and she swayed.
No freaking way. “You’re a dragon-pire?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it was to act like I didn’t know what I was doing in that stupid Medic class?” Janelle said.