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"

the old man who's taken me under his wing and owns this place. He's some sort of high-falutin' to-do in the gnome community. They don't explain a lot, but it's what I've gathered

I'm not allowed to call her that. No, it's

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

"Mistress Keeper, I don't-"

you don't understand, then shut your face," she hisses.

go."

questions bubbling up inside me. Even I'm

14

Waking

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

once-confusing paths.

longer bewilders me. After perusing a map for hours on end, I the layout

I'm dragged through the

deafening boom shakes the entire structure. The floor bucks beneath my feet, and I stumble, my heart leaping into my throat. Elverly's iron grip closes

she barks, her gravelly

break into a run, my longer legs having to put in a surprising amount of effort to keep pace with

are shouts and screams, the kind that chill your blood and

War.

thought she meant some sort of far-off conflict, a

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

face is grim as we burst into the room. Without a word, he ushers us toward what he calls the "safe room. The door swings open, revealing a space crammed with gadgets and gizmos I can't even

his usual calm

mechanisms engage, and the space around us shrinks. It's like being inside a giant, mechanical Rubik's cube as

cramped I can barely sit. Standing is out of the question, and moving? Forget about it. I'm wedged between Elverly and the Grand

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

since my escape. I don't like being

happening?" I whisper, unable to keep silent any

24

C

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