Page 55 of Liberating Water

“Don’t push it, Parker, or we will finish what I started in the ring, no matter what Lailah says,” Micah growled, his dual swords appearing in his hands. “Let’s get this over with. It’s fucking freezing, and I don’t like that Lailah doesn’t have a coat.”

With grim looks on all their faces, they stood and walked out, but Brayden didn’t move, knowing I needed a moment before we did this.

“You okay, Angel?” Brayden asked, running a hand down my back.

“No, but does that really matter? This is what we have to do, and I have to agree with Micah—the world will be a safer place without that man in it.” I sighed and gave him a peck on the lips before I stood, holding out a hand to him. “Come on, let’s go save some lives and kick some demon ass.”

Back out in the quad that was now deserted for all but the six of us, we marched towards the chapel. Micah, in the lead, hit the chapel doors with two powerful blasts of fire, enough to knock the doors off their hinges, and Hudson followed up, putting the fire out before it could take hold. Jay used his wind to pull what debris he could from the entrance swiftly, leaving a clear path for people to leave by. When we entered the chapel, it was completely silent and far too dark until the overhead light blazed into existence.

“Oh, you dear, sweet, baby-minded Knights. Did you really think it would be that easy to get the drop on me? Now you have to find your precious students before it’s too late. I got tired of waiting and started the clock ages ago,” Ubel’s disembodied voice called out. “Call my name any time, Synergy, and this will all end. Remember, whatever happens is on you.”

Micah punched the stone wall at the same time Jay started to swear silently.

“What? What did we miss?” I pressed.

“The tunnels. They don’t connect to anything anymore, but they are still under the chapel. This used to be where the Elementi would enter and exit the school for missions, but they are no longer needed with the new system,” Jay muttered as he started knocking on the wood-paneled walls. “Come on guys, we need to find the entrance down to the tunnels… and fast.”

We branched out, and I tried to remember what I read in those journals I found in the Elementi section of the school library. Then it hit me, and I raced to the back where the bell tower was. Ubel had picked that spot to meet us for more than one reason. Reaching the door to that section of the chapel, I found the handle was broken off and the lock jammed—this was it! Pulling my power to me, I tried to use my sai to stab around the lock to try and get it to break loose, but even though the wood was old, it was well crafted and maintained.

“Guys, I found it!” I called, hoping they could hear me.

I used my emotional connection to Brayden and Hudson to get them to come find me just in case they couldn’t hear me all the way back here. When I wasn’t getting anywhere fast, I dropped my sai and tried to create a ball of energy like I had when fighting Tabitha to see if that would work. When the blast hit the wood, it didn’t damage the door. It did the opposite, bringing the door back to its original working order. I let out a whoop of excitement and turned the handle that was not unlocked and let me enter into the room with the spiral staircase leading up to the bells. On the floor was a trap door that I guessed led down to the tunnels.

I paused, unsure if I should keep going on my own or if waiting would be better. Then I heard the sound of feet running to me close by, and I knew they were on their way, so I headed for the trap door. Grasping the old steel ring, I pulled with all my might and got the door to budge but little else. I wasn’t going to be able to do this on my own. Moments later, the guys burst in, panting as they paused to catch their breath.

“Look, I found it,” I said with a smile, pointing to the trap door. “Guess being a nerd about the school was helpful this time.”

Hudson walked over to me and kissed my forehead. “Sunshine, you are brilliant. Now let’s see if we can get this thing open.”

It took three of them lifting and the other two pushing to break the rust on the hinges to get it open.

“Guess he didn’t use this to get them down there,” Brayden said, his chest heaving from the exertion.

“Let’s just make sure we keep it open so we don’t have to fight it getting everyone out,” Hudson reasoned as we all peered down the hole.

There was an old wooden ladder, covered in cobwebs, built down one side of the tunnel. Micah walked over with a piece of wood in his hand that he lit on fire and dropped down into the tunnel. We watched and waited for it to hit the ground, letting us know how far this thing went. It dropped a good ten feet or so, and we could see the flickering of the flame, but it wasn’t enough to give us light on our way down.

“Who gets the honor of going first?” Parker asked, looking between Jay and Micah.

Without a word, Jay climbed into the hole and started down the ladder, then went Brayden and Micah.

I started forward, but Hudson grabbed my arm. “Please, Sunshine, can you do us this one favor and stay up here?”

“Why?” I frowned, not liking this request at all. “We are a team. We need each other, Hudson.”

He sighed and hung his head. “I know, I know, but would you be willing to compromise and let me go down first just in case? We still don’t know if you have any offensive abilities with your powers. Everything so far has been defensive.”

“Fine, I’ll let you go first, but I’m going no matter what,” I answered begrudgingly.

Hudson went next, and I waited a few moments to give them a little head start so I didn’t crash into them on the way down. Then Parker took up the rear making sure nothing came at us from behind.

“The rest of us made it no problem!” Brayden called from below.

Hearing that set me at ease as my feet hit the first rung of the ladder, descending into the cool darkness of the tunnel. With no way of knowing how far I’d gone or still had to go, the journey took forever as I gingerly took each step down. I was worried if I moved too fast I might slip and fall or step on Hudson’s hands, causing him to fall.

“You’re doing great, Sunshine. Slow and steady,” Hudson’s voice echoed, soothing my fears. “I’m off the ladder, so you have nothing to worry about. Just keep coming.”

When my feet hit the dirt floor, I sagged against the wall, relieved to have that part over with, only to be faced with the next task of where to go from here.