The True One

Chapter 36

Alek

I don't remember the tranquilizer dart hitting me. By the time it did, I was too numb realize it, the reality of what was transpiring forcing me to rush through the stages of grief until dazed acceptance set in.

And then... an unknown length of time passed, during which, Flora and I were transported to where we both sat now, tied with coarse rope to metal chairs in what looked to be a small office in an older building—my guess was a residence rather than an office building. An oak desk sat in front of our chairs, backed by a towering, overcrowded shelf, dusty books piled haphazardly and jutting out at angles that suggested a strong breeze might be all it would take to knock them to the floor. A curtainless window to my right let in gentle early morning light.

Straining my neck in the opposite direction, I glimpsed an old couch with freighted grey fabric, and a closed door to its side.

"You're up, finally." Flora said in a scratchy voice. "I kept trying to wake you but not even calling you a fucking asshole over and over again did the trick."

"I got hit with a tranquilizer powerful enough to drop a werewolf," I said. "Just like you. One doesn't bounce back from that easily. Or are you going to try to convince me you aren't experiencing the worst hangover of your life." My head throbbed like someone was hitting it with a mallet every two seconds. I struggled to keep my eyes open and the bile in my throat down.

Flora groaned. "I wouldn't wish this headache on my worst enemy. Not even you." She cleared her voice. "Did you see what happened to Verity?"

"She got hit too. I passed out soon after she did." I craned my neck again, one way and then the other, hoping I'd spot a sign of her. "I don't know where she is but she's not here."

"I know," Flora said before bursting into tears. "Do you think they... what would they have done with her?"

Several possibilities ran through my mind, none of which I cared to share. "First things first." I twisted my wrists, trying to loosen the binds. "We find a way to free ourselves, get out of here, and then we can figure out where Verity was taken."

"How are we going to accomplish any of that?"

I had a few tricks up my sleeve from my years of treasure hunt adventuring, but I was no Houdini. "This is going to take me a few minutes."

A few minutes ended up being longer than we had. Not thirty seconds later, wrists still bound, a click of a bolt being turned, and the creek of an opening door dashed my hopes of having the use of my arms before someone entered the room.

Norvin marched in, taking a seat on the opposite side of the desk, serving up a smile with a generous side of smugness.

"Not this guy," Flora mumbled, though I don't know who else she expected it to be.

"Where's Verity?" I asked him.

"Not here," he answered. "Though if she was, I doubt she'd want to see you anyways."

"What's that supposed to mean," asked Flora. "Is there a new reason she should be mad at you, Alek?"

"No. It's just more of his mind games," I answered her.

"Games? I suppose you could say that." Norvin leaned back in his chair. "You always were inclined towards solving puzzles. I hope you enjoyed the one that brought you here."

"We hated it," Flora spat at him.

"Maybe you did," he said. "Alek, on the other hand, never could resist a good mystery. I expect that's why he was so drawn to Verity. Well, that and the obvious."