“Olivia,” he sighed heavily. “Turn around.”
“I know. I’ll be fine,” I assured him. I hadn’t forgotten about the knife in my back. Clearly someone had pulled it out and I felt an odd homemade bandage applied against my skin. Craynor hadn’t wanted me dead. At least not yet. Maybe that was good news? I wasn’t sure what he wanted with Joshua or with me.
I paused hearing a faint rattling. “What’s that?” Josh mumbled and I rose walking towards the vent hearing it again.
“Hello?” I saw a small vent at the ceiling. I doubted Rane could fit and she was the smallest.
“Olivia?” I heard the faintest voice before the vent pushed open and a tiny body plopped down onto the floor in a heap.
“Adelaide!” I rushed over, making sure she was okay as she’d fallen onto the cold cement.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, careful to keep from being heard. “We have to get you out of here.”
“We? What are you doing here?” I stared at her shocked.
Adelaide smiled before throwing her arms around me. I tried to hide the grimace as my back throbbed. I wasn’t entirely thrilled she was here, but was glad to hug her. “Where’s Madeline?”
“She doesn’t know I left.” Adelaide let go of me and walked over to Joshua. “What happened to him?”
“I’m fine.” Joshua gave the best smile he muster, hugging Adelaide. “How’d you get here?”
Adelaide sighed glancing around the room, taking in her surroundings. “Aidan said I was a stowaway.” She smiled up at me brightly. “I snuck into the back with the supplies. I wanted to help.”
I nodded. “And that you did. Who else is with you?”
Adelaide grinned. “Aidan, Cate and Elsa. They’re just outside, trying to find a way in. Craynor is standing guard with a gun. He threatened to kill you both if they came any closer. So I snuck in through the vent.” She beamed proudly.
“What about Henry, Gavin and Rane?” I hoped they were still alive and well.
Adelaide shrugged. “I don’t know who they are. Oh! Aidan said he found a girl alive, but hurt. He was trying to make her feel better. Maybe it’s your friend?” She tried to make sense of the information even though they’d kept a lot from her.
“You’ve done well,” I assured her. “Do they know where you went?” I felt my heart constrict. Adelaide should not have been here. Craynor would kill her if he found her.
“Cate helped me into the vent,” Adelaide answered. “Can’t we climb out the same way?”
I bent down, wrapping my arms around her. “I wish we could but we’re too big.” Hope disappeared as quickly as it came.
“That’s not what Cate told me,” Adelaide smirked. “She said to tell you what’s big can be little and what’s little can be big.”
“What does that mean?” I shot a glance at Joshua.
He paused momentarily, thinking the puzzle over. “The vent. I think we can make it bigger or somehow make ourselves smaller to fit through it.”
“You want me to shrink us?” I laughed. “You’re crazy!”
“Just consider it for a second, Olive,” he reasoned. “Children grow into adults. Why can’t we make ourselves a few years younger, smaller,” he emphasized.
“I’m not turning us into five-year-olds.” I reiterated, “It’s not going to happen. Besides who’s to say I can even do that!” This was more than a long shot. It was impossible.
“You have to try.” Adelaide’s voice perked up. “Please, Olivia.”
I sighed. I couldn’t say no to her. Besides, we needed a way out. “You go first,” I insisted. In case I ended up destroying the vent or Joshua and myself, I didn’t want her to witness it.
I kissed her cheek as she walked over towards Joshua. “We’ll see you soon.” He offered a smile though he struggled with the pain he felt. “Help her back in the vent,” Josh insisted. I hugged her one last time and dropped another kiss to her dirty cheek.
“Be careful,” I told Adelaide as I eased her back into the vent. I spent a few minutes trying to catch my breath, listening for the door, nervous as hell. Walking back towards Joshua I examined his wounds and rested a hand on his, depleting some of my energy, giving it to him.
“What are you doing?” He tried to pull his hand back, but I gripped it tighter.
“You need enough energy to climb through the vent with me. I’m not leaving you behind.”
“Just a little.” The color slowly returned to his cheeks and he took his other hand, prying my death grip from him. “That’s enough.” He knew we both needed enough strength to escape.
“Okay.” My voice betrayed me as I offered a weak smile. I was beyond nervous. I felt my body jolt awake at the sound of the latch on the basement door. We were out of time. The grate lay at my feet as I gripped his hand and focused on making us younger. It wasn’t working.
Smaller! Joshua silently insisted. Do it now!
“I’m trying!” I screamed watching with wide terror-filled eyes as Craynor descended the stairs with a tray of food.
“You two shouldn’t be up and around.” Craynor’s voice echoed as he dropped the tray of food, prepared for a fight. Clearly he hadn’t anticipated us on our feet.
Joshua was the first to act, jumping at Craynor, wrestling him down onto the ground. Craynor was fast and strong, flipping them over, pinning Josh down and pulling a switchblade from his pocket.
I had to do something. I rushed towards Craynor, knocking the knife from his hand as I kicked him hard. He fell back, off Joshua as he rolled away. I darted for the knife along with Craynor, feeling the cold cement against me as Craynor climbed above me, reaching just slightly farther grazing the metal blade. “Get off!” I bellowed throwing him from my back hard against the wall. His body collapsed down the wall but his eyes remained open and he was breathing. I grabbed Joshua’s hand, helping him to his feet as we rushed up the stairs. I pushed Joshua past me, letting him out first as I turned around to see Craynor come up the stairs chasing after us.
I had no other choice. I needed to put an end to Craynor and his reigning madness. My hands glowed briefly and expelled a flame onto him, sending him stumbling backwards screaming. Joshua grabbed my hand, not bothered by the searing heat as he dragged me up the stairs. Together we ran through the building, trying to find our way out. In the darkness we stumbled, unable to find a door as the building shifted with our footsteps. It wasn’t steady or safe. I didn’t know how much longer it would last and I glanced back seeing smoke coming from the basement where we’d been held. The structure had already grown weak after Haven’s raid. It was only a matter of time until it collapsed.
Stumbling through the darkness my legs tripped over something warm and I fell onto the form, realizing it was a body. I reached down, searching out a pulse. It was faint.
“Henry,” I gasped.
Joshua kept a hold, helping me to my feet. “Who’s that?” He hadn’t recognized the name. I didn’t expect him to.
“He helped me find my way to Haven,” I admitted. “He’s still alive. I need your help, Joshua.” I couldn’t leave him to die. It wasn’t right. Not if we could get back to Shadow and use the technology to save him. “We need to find our way out.” My heart pounded as I gripped Joshua’s hand tighter and he lifted Henry into his arms. “Adelaide! Cate!” I screamed knowing someone had to be nearby.