It was difficult to reach Mason when the vultures were shooting lightning bolts, too.
“Jump,” Nick ordered to Everett and Amanda. “Mason and I will hold them back.” Nick’s light sizzled a couple of them, but more came through the door. There seemed to be an endless number of them.
“Don’t worry about us, and don’t wait too long to close the floor. We’ll meet you at the end. We’re going now.” Everett grabbed Amanda and forced her to jump in with him.
“I’m not going in without you,” I said aloud to Mason, while shooting lights at the vulture coming toward me, but it was no use. The vulture’s light was stronger, blocking mine. It was strange to see this man, who looked absolutely nothing like a vulture, come at me with a growl and an expression of rage.
“Get in,” Mason yelled to Nick. “I’m closing the floor.” Mason leapt over chairs and the table that was split in half, while shooting and blocking the volts aimed at him. I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he drove us into the opening, but just before, he zapped his light on the fake wine bottle. The floor then sealed behind us.
Down and down we went, descending as if we were on a slide. I would have screamed for my life if I’d been alone, but being with Mason calmed me. And though I had no idea what awaited me, I knew I was safe. Mason continued to hold onto me until we landed with a thud.
The underground was lit with small electric lanterns, hung high above and spaced every few feet. The air was dry, filling my nose with the smell of soil. I suddenly shivered from the feel of the cold ground and the change in temperature. It was dim, but I could see my surroundings. The only sound I heard at the moment was a body falling down the slide. Somehow, whoever it was had made it through before the floor sealed. It happened so fast, we didn’t have time to react.
Suddenly…bam! Something landed on us.
With a loud, irritated groan from Mason, he yanked me up next to him, ready to zap the intruder.
“Don’t kill me. I’m one of you,” it said quickly, raising both hands in surrender. He was bent down on his knees with his head low. He was muscular with dark hair. Though he looked like any ordinary human, the stench of him surely indicated he was not.
What in the world? It was the craziest thing, except everything about my life was crazy anyway.
Mason gracefully slid one arm in front of me, pulling me behind him, a way of protecting me. How did he do that so fast without me knowing until after the fact? “Get up,” he ordered. “Why should we believe you? As far as I’m concerned, I’ve yet to meet a friendly vulture.”
“I know. Let me explain.” With his hands still up in the air, he stood up slowly, one leg at a time. He towered over Mason. “He calls me Adam.”
“Who is ‘he’?” Mason asked.
“Victor.”
“Victor? You mean my dad?” When I asked that question, I thought twice. Would Adam even know Victor was my dad?
“Yes. Your father.”
I was shocked and my expression mirrored Mason’s. Confusion filled my mind, wondering why on Earth my dad would associate with a vulture.
“Victor has a lot of explaining to do.” Mason didn’t look thrilled with the news. “I don’t care if you’re friends with Victor, but until I get some clear answers, you’re my prisoner. Now…walk.” He pointed. “Follow the light and don’t turn around. We’ll walk behind you. One funny move, I’ll ace your sorry ass.”
With a nod, Adam started walking.
“Wait. You don’t even know the way,” Mason said, as he waited for Adam to stop.
That’s when I noticed four tunnels. Suddenly, I got worried. What if my father and his people picked the wrong tunnel? Did they all lead to the same destination? “Mason, why are there four?”
“To confuse our enemies, of course.”
“Do they lead to the same place?”
“No. Only one way is correct. The others each lead to a dead end, but they won’t know that until they are miles in. That is how long the tunnels are.”
“Do you think my fa—” I started to say, but stopped. I couldn’t say it out loud. “I mean…Victor and his people picked the right one?” I didn’t know why I was worried. After all, I’d told myself I wasn’t going to care about him.
“Everett and Amanda slipped through the floor almost right after your father and his team. I’m pretty sure they went to the right tunnel together.”
“Which tunnel?” In my mind, I had picked the tunnel to the right, closest to the center.
“None of them,” Mason said.
“What?” My tone went up a notch, feeling baffled. Had I heard Mason’s words correctly?
“There is one tunnel, but you can’t see it because it’s behind the slide we just fell through. The intruders would never have the chance to survive down here, especially if they were lost. We did it to confuse them. Only the five of us knew.” Mason looked somewhat reserved when he said the last sentence, as if he didn’t want to say it, or accidently had said it. He knew how guilty I would feel hearing his name.
Five? I had forgotten about Remus. “Clever,” I said with the most upbeat tone.
“This way, Adam.” Mason pointed to the darkness.
Adam hesitantly dragged his feet through the pebbled ground. Once he passed some distance, as if the lantern was on sensor mode, the tunnel lit up.
“Where does this tunnel lead to?” I asked, walking side by side with Mason.
“To a house. It’s furnished as if a family lives there. We stayed there a couple of times before. We have houses in different cities, just in case. We call this place house number two.”
“I’m going to assume house number one is the one you’re living in now?”
“Yes. Hopefully, we never have to relocate to the other ones.” Mason lightly squeezed my hand. Our conversation stopped when Adam halted.
Following Mason’s order, Adam didn’t look back even when he came to a dead end. He just stood there, looking like a statue without saying a word.
“He listens,” Mason mumbled softly to me, then maneuvered cautiously around Adam. Lightly tapping the wall, he glanced at me. “We’ve only used this secret door once, and that was to make sure it worked. However, seeing that our friends are not here waiting, I’m going to assume they went through and closed the door.” Mason curled his lips into a small grin. “There it is.” After a glance to Adam, Mason pushed through with his shoulder.
What looked like a part of the tunnel wall, suddenly swung open, revealing it was a hidden door. Bright light blinded me at first, but I quickly covered my eyes, giving me time to adjust my vision. In front of me stood the same people I had been separated from. Then the weapons pointed at us. For a second, I thought they aimed at me, but soon realized they were directed at Adam. I had forgotten he was there.
“Duck! A vulture is behind you,” Nick shouted, swinging his arms in motion, preparing to shoot.
“Don’t shoot!” Victor ordered. “It’s Adam.”
“Victor.” Adam walked to him happily.
“What the hell?” Amanda’s eyes were wide and incredulous.
It was strange to see this incredibly big, dangerous looking male cozying up to my dad, almost like a child who wanted acceptance. The oddest thing was to see Victor’s group happy to see Adam as well, like they were longtime friends.
“How did you find us?” Victor asked Adam, peering up to him with a respect I hadn’t expected.
“They found out about your meeting. I don’t know how they knew. I followed them, but I came at the tail end. When I saw Skylar, I jumped to protect her, but the floor opened and I fell through.”
“He’s a spy?” Everett’s tone clearly indicated he was not happy with this news.
“Yes.” Colin took a step next to Adam, as if to protect him.
“How can you trust one of them?” Nick asked, sizing Adam up.
“Why don’t we take a seat? I prefer we talk cordially. I’ll answer all of your questions,” my dad suggested, w
alking to the sofa.
When the rest followed, I turned to Mason. He was closing the wall to the tunnel. It was built to look like a fireplace from this side, which I thought was a clever idea.
Mason placed his hand at the small of my back, guiding me into the large family room, and we settled on the sofa. The house reminded me of Mason’s home, but smaller. I noted there was only one staircase. The furniture was plain, and there was less of it.
Victor exhaled. “Adam is not one of the vultures. About a year ago, we went to a suspicious location to hunt the vultures. Little did we know, it was a trap and Adam was taken. The odd thing was that only his kind was taken. Adam is the descendant of Hephaestus. We had no way of knowing where they took them.”
Everyone seemed in awe of this newfound information as we sat and listened intently. And to think Mason had almost zapped Adam out of existence, which would have been beyond devastating.
“For months we searched,” my dad continued. “We feared their lives were taken. Then, one day, we came upon Adam. He looked lost and confused. We thought he was a vulture from his disfigured appearance, but he would not fight back. From that action alone, we knew he was different. We imprisoned him in our cell because we had no idea who or what he was. Slowly, his appearance started to change back to what he used to look like, back to his true form, but not completely. The only thing he could remember was that he was being drugged and held captive in the mountain. He didn’t even remember his name. We tried going to the location, but we couldn’t find a thing. No entrance, no cave…nothing.”
“Drugs?” Mason questioned.
“I don’t know what kind or if I can even call it that,” Adam said. “I remember having fevers. My body ached like I had the flu. I was weak and dizzy. After that, I recall being a bit stronger, bigger, and somehow, unexplainably different. I didn’t feel like myself.”
Blinking, I shivered from Adam’s words and recalled my recent similar experience. Surely it was just a coincidence. I wasn’t being drugged…yet, I couldn’t stop the eerie feeling that it was possible, especially when I was able to do things I could never do before.
Adam continued, “When I escaped, I tried to find the others, but they had turned to the darkness. I couldn’t tell them apart. Everything is a somewhat of a blur, but I recall a waterfall and a bridge.”
“Well, that doesn’t tell us much.” Nick threw up his hands in annoyance.
“I’m sorry. That’s all that I could remember.” Adam’s head was down, as if he was ashamed. “Being able to turn back means that the drug is temporary; however, if given enough, the change is irreversible. I can only imagine what my friends are going through.”
“Unless…we accidently killed one of them?” Mason mumbled under his breath.
All eyes flashed to his.
It seemed as though Mason’s words were spilled by accident from the shocked look on his face. “What I meant was…if the drug makes them look like a vulture, and they’re not aware of what they are doing, how do you know if you didn’t kill one of your people? They could have been there today.”
Not a word was spoken as they soaked in Mason’s words.
“You’re right,” Adam finally said, somberly. “Another thing I remember is that we were forced to make weapons, steal for blades, and iron for something. They’re getting ready for a war.”
“It’s okay, Adam. Thanks for going out this time, but no more. Since they’re capturing mostly Hephaestus descendants, you need to stay home.”
“But—”
“This is an order. No buts. Your and Kevin’s safety comes first.”
Victor patting Adam’s shoulder in comfort clearly showed how much he cared for him. It wasn’t just Adam. It was the way he proudly looked at Noah and Tim. For some reason, I felt a sting of jealousy, yet at the same time, admiration for my dad, who cared for them as if they were his children. Suddenly, a question I didn’t want to ever wonder about crept up. Was my dad just as proud of me?
“Then, the question remains....” Everett broke the silence. “Who is doing this and what do they want? It’s obvious they want Skylar, but why the Hephaestus descendants?”
“During an attack, how does the vulture even know who is from what descendant?” Mason asked. His arm around my waist tightened following Everett’s words. Mason constantly worried about me.
“I’m not sure,” Victor replied. “The only explanation is that they can see past the veil, their true form in nature. Kevin already showed you what he looks like.”
“The way I see it, we have only two choices. We either stay put and see what happens, or we go find them,” Nick suggested, shifting his weight and scooting to the edge of the sofa. His jaw and shoulder became tense.
“There are only three places that have both a waterfall and a bridge,” Noah informed. “We’ve already searched, but found nothing. I suggest we wait…try to apprehend one and make him take us to their location. The one we captured is useless. It can only growl.”
“You have one?” Amanda’s tone and curiosity shot up. “I’d like to see one close up. I mean, I already know what they look like, but I would like to study it.”
“Then you’ll have to visit our place,” Tim said. “You think Mason will let you?”
Amanda shot her eyes to Mason. “He doesn’t get to tell me what to do.”
Mason was calm. He didn’t say anything.
“It would be my pleasure if you visit our place,” my dad said. “Sky could see where I’ve been all these years. And I was also instructed by the Elders to bring Sky in. They are very anxious to meet her.”
I wouldn’t look at my dad. Instead, I waited to see what Mason would say.
“You have Elders?” Everett asked. He seemed in awe. Apparently my dad was not the main man to go to. There were others above him.
“Yes. They’ve been around for generations. They guide us in making decisions.”
“Sounds like a plan, so—” Mason started to say.
“We’ll be watching you,” Noah interrupted with a smirk.
Mason scowled. “Just don’t be staring through the window.”
I recalled wondering about the shadow that was in the room across from the bedroom I stayed at in Kayla’s house. When Mason found out it was Nick who was spying, he’d nearly punched him.
“Not this time,” Noah replied with a slight chuckle.
Though Mason tried not to show it, I saw his lips curl up from the corner. This gave me hope that the bickering between them might settle down, and Mason would welcome their help. I knew he would do it for me. “We still don’t have the answer to how they found us,” Mason said, raising a brow.
“It’s simple. We have a traitor among us.” Adam shrugged his shoulders.
Silence filled the air.
“I’ll be right back.” I brushed my lips against Sky’s ear with a light kiss, left the room, and came back with several sets of keys. Silence continued to fill the room as I observed everyone still seated. I tossed one set to Noah when he looked at me, and the other to Tim. “You can borrow my car. Make sure I get it back in one piece. Two cars should do it.”
“How many cars do you have?” Colin asked in astonishment, gathering his shield and weapon from the floor.
“Enough. That is all you have to know.” I was brief and to the point. It was none of their damn business anyway. I didn’t mean to sound rude, I was just furious at the fact that there was a traitor, and it sure wasn’t a member of my family.
With one last glance at the people I’d met, the people that were going to help me protect Sky, I couldn’t help wonder if any of them was a traitor. Even having Noah and Tim prove time and time again that they could be trusted, they were still under my radar. It was better to be safe than sorry. When it came to Sky’s safety, I had to do whatever I could to protect her, even if it meant making enemies.
“Thank you,” Victor said sincerely, standing up. “We appreciate the transportation. We have a long drive ahead. We?
??ll use your cars for now until we can retrieve ours from your restaurant.”
Victor mentioning the restaurant reminded me of all the damage I had to fix. Being attacked by the vultures had completely ruined the room. The vulture’s bolts had damaged the ceiling, the wall, the table and chairs, and fixtures. Not to mention the fire, thanks to Aaron. But I was fine with it. Material things could be replaced, but not lives.
“Text me to let me know when I can get them back…the sooner the better,” I stressed.
“Tomorrow. Remember, we’ll be around a lot.” There was a hint of gloating in Noah’s tone. He gestured his people off the sofa when he stood. Noah could be a prick at times. He thought he was funny, but it only irritated me. I also didn’t like the way he looked at Sky. I knew guys checked her out, being that she was so attractive and sweet, but one day I was going to lose it and punch his face.
I rolled my eyes, humoring him. “Great. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Awww…that’s so sweet.” Nick joined in, placing his arm around my shoulder. “You two finally realized how much you need each other.”
“Shut up, or else he’ll end up taking your spot,” I said lightly, shoving his arm off me.
“If you cheat on me, I’ll ace your ass.” Nick chuckled out loud.
“Not if I do it first. I’m faster than you.”
Before Nick could make a comeback, Victor stepped forward. “We should get going.” He seemed a little bit on edge. Knowing one of his men was a traitor must have been the reason for the worried expression on his face.
I led them to the garage and showed them my collection of cars. It was going to be the largest garage they’d ever seen, I was assuming. It was spacious enough to fit five cars, and then some.