Tangled

Chapter 267

Unshift 267

Unshift 267

267 Lisa: Waking to War

A tiny hand shakes me awake with incongruous force, something I'd attribute to King Kong and not the gnomes who've been sheltering me and teaching me about magitech since my escape.

Groaning. I pull my blanket over my head. I'm too tired. "Go away

"Wake, wake, lazy girl! The war has come!"

The wizened old housekeeper-it has to be her, because no one else treats me like an unruly pig -yanks my covers off and slaps at my legs. "Hurry up, or die here alone!"

War?

I

Die?

My brain isn't functioning yet, but I stumble out of bed as she throws some clothes at me. "Dress! Hurry! Boots too!" Those are tossed at my feet, bruising my pinky toe in a way that has me hissing and hopping on one foot. "No time, you lazy girl! Get moving!"

Uncertain of what's going on but recognizing that her anxiety level is sky high, I throw on a clean shirt and jeans that they must have sourced from humans. Too bad they didn't bring a bra, too.

But at least there's socks.

Shoving my feet into them, the gnarled woman shoves at me until I fall onto my ass on the bed. "Put this on," she snaps, throwing a coat at me.

"Okay, okay. Hold on. You haven't even explained what's happening!"

"War!" she snaps. "Hurry!"

Despite her gruff demeanor, she kneels to shove my boots on as I shrug on the coat, two sizes too big and I double check what I'm feeling strapped in some hidden pockets-armed. With knives. In fact, they seem to fit the term dagger more than knife.

"Let's go. Hurry, hurry. The Grand Sage is waiting"

Grand Sage is the old man who's taken me under his wing and owns this place. He's some sort of

I'm not allowed to call her that.

that's a real title, but it's definitely what she

"Mistress Keeper, I don't-"

then shut your face," she hisses. "This

go."

swallowing the questions bubbling up

14

Lisa Waking

Elverly. That tiny terror has no qualms about doling out pain to keep me in line. So I follow her silently

once-confusing paths.

bewilders me. After perusing a map

sort of comfort at the moment, as I'm dragged

floor bucks beneath my feet, and I stumble, my heart leaping into my throat. Elverly's iron

her gravelly voice laced with

put in a surprising amount of effort to keep pace

your blood and

War.

she meant some sort of far-off conflict, a theoretical threat that brought

Not a war here.

Not a war now.

reality of our situation slams into me as we careen down a flight of stairs. The basement. We're heading to the basement,

we burst into the room. Without a word, he ushers us toward what he calls

urges, his usual calm demeanor cracking under

clicking. Panels shift, mechanisms engage, and the space around us shrinks. It's like

barely sit. Standing is out of the question,

thick and heavy as we all breathe into this tiny space, sharing the mingled scents of oil, metal, and fear. I struggle to control my breathing, trying not to give in to the claustrophobia clawing at the edges

since my escape. I don't like being

happening?" I whisper, unable to

24

C

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255