ENTRAPPED ₂

13

ETHAN DECIDED THAT HE WOULD NEVER AGAIN DOUBT LEO VALDEZ'S ABILITY. In a fight, Ethan was golden. Modern traps?

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

Leo deactivated all of them. He never hesitated. He didn't even speak. He would just hold out his hand, and Piper, Jason, and Ethan would stop.

"You're amazing," Jason told him.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing."

"Hey, that wasn't your―"

"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced.

Piper stared at the door in disbelief. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"

"You don't need to lock your fucking door when your whole yard is a death sentence," Ethan snarled. He didn't like this place. He didn't like how it felt or how it looked. Something was wrong, and Ethan had learned to trust his gut.

Leo turned the doorknob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation.

Piper caught Jason's arm before he could follow. Ethan, who was behind the pair of them, was forced to play spectator.

"He's going to need some time to get over Festus," Piper said. "Don't take it personally."

"Yeah," Jason said. "Yeah, okay." He sounded like he was taking it pretty personally, though. "Piper, I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad―if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not."

Piper looked at Jason as if he'd just hit her in the face. "Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Please―don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together." She ducked inside the doorway without another word.

Jason stared after her. "Together," he muttered. "Yeah, we're doing great with that."

Ethan patted Jason's shoulder. "It was a good try, golden boy."

With that, he slid around Jason and entered the house.

⎯⎯ ୨ entrapped ୧ ⎯⎯

Ethan couldn't see anything, and for once, it wasn't because of his blind eye. That was fine. He had learned to adapt since becoming half-blind. Though he'd lost half his eyesight, his other senses had gotten a lot better. Adaptability.

From the echo of his footsteps, he could tell the entry hall was quite big; possibly bigger than Boreas's penthouse. The only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose ten feet. Spaced between them along the walls were statues of people, which Ethan very much disliked.

Sofas were arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. Ethan couldn't help but notice that it looked like a throne. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

"Where's the light switch?" Jason asked. His voice echoed alarmingly through the room.

"Don't see one," Leo said.

"Fire?" Piper suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working."

"Your fire is out? Why?" Piper asked.