House of Silence (Poisoned Houses Book 3)
Page 29
Like then, I fix my eyes on a solid point of stability and ignore the vast drop below me. Unlike last time, which was just an illusion, a fall here really will kill me.
I try to remind myself that workers have to go directly out onto the panels to clean and service them, that they’re not fragile pieces of glass that will break easily. But my brain refuses to accept the logic, and sweat breaks out on my forehead, nausea twisting in my stomach, the farther we walk from the safety of the wall.
I put all my faith in Connor and Felix, who seem unbothered by the steep drop below us.
At the junction to the third sky-panel, Connor finds another rainbow, and we veer left to follow it, then right at the next junction. It feels like we zigzag across the sky, growing ever closer to the center, and I risk a glance down.
Dizziness sets in, and I clutch the handrail, snapping my eyes shut to block out the view of Central Plaza. From the school, we came in close to the center already, and our trek brought us the rest of the way.
“Are we seriously heading for the Halls of Justice?” I squeak out, too overcome with terror to be embarrassed by my obvious fear.
“Not quite.” Cool hands grip my arms, and when I force my eyes open, Connor stands in front of me, forcing some of his calm to penetrate my panic. “You’re okay. We’re safe. Dozens of people walk up here every day.”
“Looks like we’ll both be punching Declan for this.” Felix comes up alongside me. “He better be dying, like, literally coughing up blood, to have asked us to do this shit.”
I nod in agreement. “If this ends up just being an I miss you guys call, I’ll throttle him.”
“It looks like we’re heading for a business building one panel over from Halls of Justice.” Connor’s hands lift to my shoulders, fingers bumping against my neck, and I wonder if he’s checking my pulse to make sure I calmed down. “I thought the top spire was just decoration, but I see what looks like an access point.”
Reluctantly, I follow the direction he points. The bridge in front of us ends at a large tube that can only be the Halls of Justice, but a spark on the bridge points us right, away from the Peace Keepers to a much smaller tube. I can’t for the life of me remember why the building was erected, or who owns it. Nikola would know, and I desperately wish he were here with us to ease my mind about this mad adventure.
We’re close. Just one more bridge.
I grab Connor’s hands, pulling them down from my racing pulse. “Let’s get this over with.”
We take up a new position, with Connor in the front and Felix at my back, the twins’ way of ensuring I don’t pass out and fall to my death, I’m sure.
The hairs on my arms lift as we pass the door that leads into the Halls of Justice and veer away, the silver spire not instilling in me a sense of security. Unsurprising, since we’re a band of thieves, stealing our way through levels only authorized personnel are allowed access to.
If someone stepped through that locked door now, we’ll have no way to explain our presence here.
When we reach the office building, the door has a suspicious lack of security lights, and I hold my breath as Connor grips the handle and pushes it open.
No alarms sound, and I release the breath I hold.
Connor peeks inside. “It’s empty.”
“What do you mean it’s empty?” Felix strides past me. “We didn’t come all this way to be stood up!”
We squeeze inside the small room, just large enough to hold a lift, and I peer around. “Are we supposed to go down?”
Connor shrugs. “I don’t see any more rainbow markers. Maybe they’re inside the lift?”
Without waiting for further discussion, Felix leaps forward to smash the call button on the wall.
“Well, if anyone’s in the building at this time of night, they’ll know we’re here now,” Connor murmurs.
Felix cringes. “I didn’t think of that.”
“There’s nothing else for us to do besides twiddle our thumbs up here.” I reach back to close the door behind us. “I, for one, don’t want to go back without answers if we can find them.”
Connor nods. “Agreed.”
“Then stop riding my lightstream, bro.” Felix reaches up for his night goggles. “I bet this elevator has lights.”
I hastily pull my goggles down, not eager to be blinded when the door opens.
Blankness swamps my vision, and I reach out in search for one of the twins.
Felix’s quiet laugh fills the dark. “I bet this is all a big joke to see how far he can get us to go for him.”
“He wouldn’t do that.” I squeeze what I believe is Connor’s arm. “Right?”
“He used to play some pretty extreme pranks in school.” Connor’s laughter joins in. “Now that you mention it, this is right up his alley. He once made me go all the way down to Level 9 for a meet-up, only to call me from my own room after I waited around for an hour. He’d just finished copying my homework.”
Felix snickers. “I remember that.”
Their humor eases the tension of the moment, and I join in. “If that’s the case, he’s going to regret it when we all beat him up.”
“His pretty face can take a few good hits, no problem.” Felix laughs harder. “Might even improve his looks. Add character.”
The lift dings, pulling us back to reality, and I squint as the doors swish open, glad Felix reminded us to take off our goggles. Even with the precaution, I can’t focus right away, and I lift a hand to block out some of the light.
A hazy figure fills the door. “Guys, I’m so glad you got my message.”
“Dec, you asshole,” Felix growls. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
My hand drops away as Declan comes into focus, and I grab the back of Felix’s shirt before he can lunge at our friend.
Time away hasn’t treated Declan well. Dark shadows smudge under his eyes, his cheeks thinner than the last time I saw him. His sallow skin highlights the dark stubble that grows on his chin and jaw, and his chestnut hair, while combed, lacks its usual luster.
I pull Felix back from him, afraid our fear of forest fever came to reality. “Dec, what happened to you?”
A shaky hand lifts to brace the elevator door open as he stares out at us. “The night of Mr. Blue’s party, someone poisoned my family. My parents and Ashely, my brother’s wife, are dead, and Dominick might not make it. I got some of it, too. Not a lot, but enough to put me down for a few days.”
“Oh, my god.” My hand lifts to cover my mouth. “How did this happen?”
“I’m not sure.” He closes his eyes, his exhaustion clear. “My parents didn’t attend the party, and we were all struck down at the same time.”
Connor steps forward. “What does the Blue Guard say?”
Declan’s eyes open once more, their honeyed depths dull. “We haven’t told them. We haven’t told anyone.” He swallows hard. “The bodies, they’re still in our house, in the basement. The Rothven physician prepared them, but…”
Felix escapes my hold to go to him. “Dec, you have to tell the authorities. They can track down the culprit.”
“You don’t understand.” Declan grabs Felix by the shoulder, pulling him close. It looks less like a hug than a bid for support as he sways on his feet. “Mr. Blue’s the one trying to kill us.”
To Be Continued in:
House of Strife
Also By
Books Under Lyn Forester
Poison World Universe
Poison World
Beneath a Holo-Sky
Ash in the Blood
When the Sky Turn On
Poisoned Houses
House of Glass
House of Artifice
House of Silence
House of Strife
Thread Reader Universe
Tales of Port Lapton
Bound to Be
Unraveling
Fate’s Will
Tied by Fate
Caught by Fate
&n
bsp; Books Under Sophie O’Dare
Tails x Horns Universe
You to Me (Masa x Sota)
Just Not You (Taro x Ryu)
Kiss Me Please (Masa x Sota Novelette)
Heat Me Up (Masa x Sota Novella)
Lyn Forester with LA Kirk
Thelsa’s Story
Shifting Tides
At Water’s Edge
Hyde Verses Hyde
Mistidings
Kiss or Curse
Witches of Manberry
Spite
About the Author
Lyn Forester graduated with a Bachelor in English and an Associates in Graphic Design. She worked in the graphic design industry for ten years before deciding to pursue her other life long dream of becoming a writer. She grew up reading mostly fantasy books, though later in life found a love of urban fantasy and science fiction. She currently works from her home in Washington State where she squeezes in writing time around a busy schedule. When not working, she can be found experimenting with new recipes, reading, or playing video games and the occasional board game.
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