In Vendetta House (The Vendetta Series #1)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

By the time we race up the stairs to the fourth floor, two more explosions have gone off in the distance, rumbling the House. I bound over to the door of the bathroom, knocking gently.

"Sasha?" I ask, "You there?"

I hear a scrambling of feet squeaking up from the floor.

"Ariel!" Sasha squeals quietly, a dull thud coming from the door as she presses her hands against the other side in excitement. "Thank goodness. Get me out of here!"

Jesse tries the doorknob, but as we expected, it doesn't budge. He kneels at eye-level with the knob and checks the gap between the wall and the door.

"The lock isn't even clicked in," he says, stuck between sounding infuriated or puzzled.

"Jesse?" Sasha hisses, "You're here too? Quick, tell the door to open."

He rolls his eyes. "My power is telepathy, Sash, not mind-control-over-inanimate-objects."

"It's fine," I interrupt, "The door is wooden with rusty hinges, I've broken bricks stronger that this."

"No, no!" Sasha says, her voice suddenly frantic. "The Nephilum are right outside. They'll hear a door smashing for sure."

"So what? A Nephilum girl has already smashed into the first floor and barely glanced in. They won't come after a noise in here."

Jesse shakes his head, "That would depend who the Nephilum outside this particular window are. The ones attacking are the younger initiates, the elders will be here for a purpose."

"What're initiates?" I ask. At the same time Sasha blurts out, "Elders! They're elders. Dr. White has been trying reason with them the entire time, you won't believe what I overheard!"

Jesse waves off my question as if he would explain later, while chiding Sasha, "Tell us later, we're getting you out of here no matter who's ourside."

He turns to me, jerking a thumb at the door. "Do your thing."

Taking a few steps back, I stretch out my arms and legs. I twist to the side and aim my heel right for the space under the knob: a door's weakest point. I strike fast. As my foot connects with the door, it doesn't quite bend inwards slightly like wooden doors should, but instead makes a twang, like I'd kicked steel. The impact courses through my ankle and knee uncomfortably. My base leg wobbles dangerously from such an unsteady contact.

"What was that?" Sasha whisper-shouts from inside.

Jesse grabs my elbow before I can tumble back. I regain my balance and brush him off, my eyes fixated on the door wondering what had just happened.

"That didn't sound like wood," Jesse says, wrinkling his nose. "I think there's superior demonic energy used to seal it shut."

I scoff at his words, "What? Demonic energy like left-over demon activity?"

He sighs. "No, smartass. Energy as in the power energy. The yellows."

"That's racist."

"He means the yellow-streaked hair of Cambions," Sasha pipes up in a monotone. Looks like no one would be appreciating my sarcasm any time soon.

"Now would you please get me out of here!" she shrieks.

"I don't know how. Jesse, any ideas?"

Jesse gnaws at the inside of his cheek for a few moments, brainstorming. I think about being juvenile and telling him gnawing at your cheeks is basically eating your own skin, but decide against it.