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.

from above. The silence remains unbroken, broken only by my own shallow breathing and the faint rustle of Elverly's clothes as she shifts in her

I whisper, but Elverly cuts me off with

quiet. Got

lips together, fighting 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

above snaps me back to

I blink against the sudden influx of light. The Grand Sage's face appears in the opening, his

clear," he says, but his words are grim. "You can come up

from her seat and climbing the rungs with practiced ease. I follow more hesitantly, my muscles protesting after being cramped for so long. As I near the top, I can't help but look down, curiosity

it now. They seem to melt seamlessly into the wall, as if they've always been a part of

of the hatch, taking in our new surroundings. We're in what looks like an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. The air smells of hay and something earthy I can't quite

hell did we magically

already know the explanation will

If I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd never believe it could fit three people inside, plus all the things that are in the

are we?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any

did not go far. About two hours' drive from the

be here." Glancing around, I ask,

It certainly seems quiet.

treatment. "This is in case we are parted. If anything happens, come here and press the green button on your bracelet. It's programmed for the next destination. Don't wait for any of us,

I

a pseudonym, if you must." His nose wrinkles. "This place doesn't smell right. Be on your

* * *

exit the barn. My eyes dart around, taking in the vast expanse of farmland stretching out before us. Horses

nose wrinkles as she surveys our surroundings. Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but share her sentiment.