Move. There’s no going back. Whatever happened was better than being chained like a convict awaiting the electric chair. Skye shuffled to the far, left wall, switched on the light, and hurried to the storage area with its rows of metal shelves. There was a box of large, thick altar cloths on the bottom shelf of the third row. Her organized nature and memory for details had come in handy. She located the box, and grabbed a fistful of the material.
Would her wings still work? Claribel had singed them and her legs were heavy and immobilized from the heavy chain and shackles. Skye gave a little test jump. It was difficult, but she could get airborne enough for the next step of her escape plan.
She flew to the back wall, straight to the window and the face of her enemies. Even knowing they wouldn’t try to come through the iron bars, Skye’s hands trembled as she tucked the altar cloths into the small space between the top bar and the edge of the cinderblock frame.
There. The makeshift curtain blocked them from seeing her next move. Skye flew down, scooped the dropped phone and flashlight off the floor, and then flew straight to the ceiling. Her back muscles strained with the effort it took to tote the heavy chain dangling from her feet. Grabbing an exposed wooden beam, she pulled herself up and searched for a way to move from the basement to the storefront.
She didn’t like what she found.
Chapter 19
Samhain Dawns
Kheelan drove ninety miles an hour until he passed the Tuscaloosa City Limits sign. He slowed to within ten miles an hour of the speed limit. No time for cops. He flipped open the cell phone to check for a signal just as it rang.
“Kheelan?”
Relief loosened the tightness in his ribs. He didn’t even notice the hard knot lodged in his chest until he heard Skye’s voice and it untwisted. “Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“You’re not going to believe this –”
The knot fisted in his chest again.
“I’m in the basement of The Green Fairy. You don’t happen to have any leg shackle keys, do you?”
He listened, white-knuckled, as Skye gave him what he was sure was an abbreviated version of her night’s ordeal.
“— so the only way I see out of here is a tiny crawlspace where the heating vent is housed. And I really, really don’t want to go in there.”
“After being stung by a fairy taser, threatened with death and shackled in a dark room, you’re afraid to go through a crawlspace?”
“There might be mice in it.”
Kheelan grinned in spite of the circumstances. “I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic. I’m about ten minutes away and I’ve still got the extra set of keys to the store you gave me. I’ll come get you out of the basement.”
“But the Unseelies will be guarding the door out front and they’re keeping watch at the basement window too.”
“I’ll find a way. We’re going to have to walk through that front door no matter what.” She had been through enough tonight, he had to make this work.
“No.” Skye sounded stronger now, more decisive. “I know where Claribel keeps all her keys. I’ll get in her office and see if she has any to get these chains off my ankles.”
“That’s doubtful. But even if she does, we’re still going to have to make a run out that door. I can carry you to the truck and once we’re out of their sight, I’ll figure out some way to get the shackles off you.”
“Actually . . . you’re wrong,” Skye said slowly. “I keep thinking like a grounded human. I have a better plan. Just – keep talking to me. I’m going through the crawlspace.”
Skye ignored the icky feeling of spider webs coating her face and hair. Harder to block out was the sound of scampering mice. One scurried across her foot and she almost choked on a swallowed scream. Mercifully, it didn’t take long before she poked her head out of the small opening. She turned off the flashlight, whispered her plan to Kheelan, and then pocketed the cell phone in her jeans.
The store was dimly lit and quiet. A quick glance at the windows showed nothing but darkness, no glowing goblin eyes. Hard to believe they weren’t out there though. Best to proceed as if they were.
Skye flew down and kept low to the ground, making a dash to Claribel’s office. Inside, she shut the door and used her flashlight to rummage through the top desk drawer. Out of the dozens of keys, she fished out a couple of promising smaller ones.
At last, luck was with her. The second key fit and she shed the chains and turned off the flashlight. There was one more window at the store, a small one on the side of the building by the kitchen where Mama D washed dishes. Skye opened it as quietly as possible, her heart hammering. At the last second, she grabbed Mama D’s black knit hat from a nearby coat tree and stuffed her mass of red curls inside. She also threw on a long-sleeved flannel shirt Kyle had left behind.