Tangled

Unshift 269

Unshift 269

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.

my

As he climbs, I can't help but stare at the rungs he's using. Were those there before? I wrack 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.

The Grand Sage's feet disappear through the hatch, and I strain my ears, trying to catch any sound 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 seat.

"Do

I whisper, but Elverly cuts me off with a

quiet. Got

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

snaps me back to the

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

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

gracefully rising from her seat and

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

I near the top, I can't help but look down,

a part of it. Another bit of magic? Or some kind of advanced technology? The line between the two

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

the hell did we magically land

want to ask, but I already know the explanation will be

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

ask, unable to contain my

"We did not go far. About two hours' drive from

the

be here." Glancing around, I ask, "Are you sure

It certainly seems quiet.

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, even if

terrible. I can't imagine leaving

introduce yourself by name. Use a pseudonym,

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 white

our surroundings. Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but

one would expect to find two gnomes

motions for us to