Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 269 Lisa: The Farmhouse

LISA

The entire world shakes and shudders, and I wake with a jolt. "Earthquake!"

"We landed, you idiot." Elverly scowls at me. "Next time, don't use me as a pillow."

"Don't take her vitriol seriously, Lisa. She's the one who covered you with a blanket." The Grand Sage nods toward me, and I glance down, surprised to see a flannel fabric about as large as a baby's blanket.

She yanks it off me with a huff, folding it and tucking it under her arm, where it disappears.

I blink.

"Where did it go?"

"Dimensional storage," The Grand Sage tells me, pushing different buttons. The vibration of the room ceases. "Stay here. I'm going to check on matters, and the cloaking device isn't enough to cover everyone outside."

A hatch above us creaks open, letting in a sliver of light that makes me squint. I hold my breath, not daring to move as the Grand Sage maneuvers his way between Elverly and me. His robes brush against my arm, and I catch a whiff of something herbal—sage, maybe?

Funny. Sage for sages.

As he climbs, I can't help but stare at the rungs he's using. Were those there before? I wrack my brain, trying to remember if I'd noticed them during our journey, but come up blank. It's possible they were there all along, hidden in the shadows of this cramped space.

But it's more probable that they popped out of the wall when he was pressing one of those many buttons.

strain my ears, trying to catch any sound from above. The silence remains unbroken, broken only by my own shallow

I whisper, but Elverly cuts me

quiet.

the urge to fidget. The waiting is excruciating. How long has it been since the Grand Sage left? A minute? Five? Time seems to stretch in this confined space, each second feeling like

soft thud from above snaps me back to the

hatch opens wider, and I blink against the sudden influx of light.

says, but his words

my muscles protesting after being cramped for so long. As I near the top, I can't help but look down, curiosity

rungs definitely weren't there before. I'm sure of it now. They seem to melt seamlessly into the wall, as if they've always been a part of it. Another bit of magic? Or some kind of advanced technology? The line between the two seems increasingly blurred around these

an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. The air smells of hay and something earthy I can't

hell did we magically land

want to ask, but I already know

for all the world like an oversized metal egg with a flat top. If I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd never believe

I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any

faint frown. "We did not go far. About two hours'

be here." Glancing around,

It certainly seems quiet.

is in case we are parted. If anything happens, come

That seems terrible. I can't imagine

by name. Use a pseudonym, if you

* * *

out before us. Horses and cows graze peacefully in nearby paddocks, oblivious to our status as refugees. A cluster of beat-up trucks sits in the driveway of a dilapidated

as she surveys our surroundings. Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but share her sentiment. This place seems a little too