The Worthy

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cassandra
THE BLACK ABYSS SWALLOWED US once again. We dashed through the narrow passage, with no light to guide us in our path. We had taken off the servant uniforms Tyler had handed out, and changed in to our work clothes in order to move freely. The 'secret' passage has no other intersections, no left and right, so we went simply straight.

I was taking the lead, and all of us kept a hand to one of the soiled walls.

"Everybody good?" I turned back despite the fact that there's no one to see.

"Yeah," they said out of breath.

In less than ten minutes, we sensed the cool breeze above our heads- we had reached its endpoint. "This is it, guys." I heard Max said, still panting like me. I stretched up high to feel the cold metal surface of our exit in my fingertips.

"I found the rope ladder," Jillian said, though she wasn't that far away. We reach out our hand to locate her, one hand at a shoulder, and I felt Max by my side.

"Ladder? Why did I not see that when we came in?" Max said.

"I saw it," I said teasingly. "You just didn't look enough."

Max snorted, "Look who's Ms. Observant around here."

It was my turn to snort, but I didn't say anything after that. True, that is, I observe and just notice things in my surroundings. One might say I have big eyes but really I have quite squinty ones. Being mindful isn't much a big deal.

After what seemed like a moment of absurd silence, Jillian finally broke it. "Okay, let's get out of here. Ready?" She had apparently climbed up, I assume; her voice was towering us.

"Sure you can handle that?" Max asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Alright, let's count down. One," I said.

"Two," Max sang with the usual playful tone.

"Three." Jillian pushed the round metal door and it snapped upwards. Sudden light pierced my eyes; I've put a hand out to shield them. It's certainly afternoon, and that explains the sudden jolt of heat, too.

YanYan skillfully climbed out, followed by Max. Then me. Good thing there weren't guards to capture us, and no other people to see-the coast is clear. We three carefully pushed down the rusty metallic door. I glanced to the doors of the City Hall, where most of the security people are, and we're good to go.

Max, Jillian, and I took a mile and a half walk back to our unit. Running wasn't an option. We've got our regular Saturday plans cancelled, and a long nap would do just enough.

****

We sat together in our wrecked-but-okay couch, staring at almost nowhere, replaying all the madness in our minds. Jillian had her work over for the day, and we would hang out in the woods for a picnic, or just play around in our backyard but, we were tired.

We had skipped lunch, yet, it'll be weird for the ladies at the University Cafeteria. Yeah, we still eat there, even though our college days are over. The ladies were-and still are-nice to us, so it isn't much a problem. In this case, we only ate up the garlic bread Mrs. Givlinger gave for free. And tea, of course.

"More tea?" I offered, once they emptied their cups.

"No, thanks." Max and YanYan said.

"Do you think they'll come back for their pieces of information?" I blurted out, reminiscing Harry's unexpected appearance in our kitchen.

"I don't think so," Max shrugged. "After today, they might not be able to go out the palace themselves."

"But they might," Jillian insisted.