Children of Chaos

Chapter 19

Shona jumps up when the Diamond Forces knock on the door, the weight of the situation finally registering.

"Char and Leena will show you the door to the cellar," she whispers. "Behind the shelf is a tunnel that leads out a little ways from the house. On the edge of the cliffs is a ladder down to a path. Follow the ridgeline north and you'll find the cave where we keep the ship. It's marked with red stones."

"We can take you with us, you and your children," Keptana says as he ushers us through the curtain to the other room.

"And abandon my husband? I'm happy here," Shona says.

"You're not safe here," Keptana pushes.

"I'm not the one messing with the Diamond Forces," Shona replies. "Now go!" She waits for the curtain to fall back in place, then opens the door. "Good evening officer! Looks like you brought friends today. I was just preparing a big meal for my husband and children, can I invite you in?"

"Shona, that's kind of you, but there are some dangerous people running around, the Noxians. Some of your neighbors said they disappeared into your house."

"That's a funny tale, officers. Maybe your Noxians fell into the lake."

We listen to the conversation behind the curtain, while Char and Leena stare at us with bright, wide eyes, until Sofie walks up to them, taking one of their hands and placing it on her translator bracelet.

"Your mom said you could show us the trap door?" she asks tentatively. One of them moves off a brightly colored rug on the floor and lifts it up, revealing one large loose stone in the ground. Sofie smiles at her. "That's great, thank you! Don't tell the officers we went down here, okay?"

"We're not stupid," the other one says. Sofie backs off, and we descend into a dark cellar, where the rancid smell of the decrepit village grows stronger. The stone closes behind us, muffling the conversation above.

"We would like to search your house Shona. Please don't resist."

"Well why wouldn't I resist? I feed you and your friends several times a month I would say, and this is the payback I get? Now don't ruin the curtains, those are family pieces! Hey now, I said be careful."

"I found the bookshelf," Bekah says. "Adrianna, help me." I walk over to her voice to help move the shelf, which reveals a tunnel the size of Shona's children. There's a dim light far down, signaling the end of the tunnel.

"Watch your head," Keptana says, the first to enter. Bekah and I are the last ones in, and we replace the bookshelf the best we can before following the others.

We stay quiet on the walk over, which takes barely five minutes, and we hear nothing from the Tybaran officers either. When we reach the end of the tunnel, Keptana creeps up a few stone steps and peeks his head above the ground.

"The Tybaran officers are surrounding Shona's house. The ridge leading to the cave is about a hundred feet away. Rebekah, can you distract them?

Bekah shakes her head. "I can probe their minds but they have blocks against being manipulated."

"Are they figuring out how to resist mind powers?" Evana asks.

"They must be, which is not good news for us. We'll have to make a run for it, and whoever finds the ladder first, signal to the others. Understand?" We nod, although the vibrations in the air that appeared when we entered the Diamond Realms hit me in full force again, amplified by the adrenaline.

"Let's go!"

We barely make it ten feet from the tunnel when there are shouts from behind, and heavy thumping footsteps chasing after us across the rocky ground. I don't dare look back, but run harder to catch up with the others. We near the rock edge, and Bekah shouts and waves us over towards the ladder.