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“I don’t get it. What’s the point to this?” I exploded.

Nobody had an answer, and I turned and smacked my fist into a wall. A banging made us jump, and we looked around.

“Where is that coming from?” I barked.

“It… sounds like…” Twilight cocked her head. “It’s from below.”

“The rumours state there was a basement with solitary cells. And also… the worst of the worst was held down there,” Hatton said, frowning deeply as he tried to recall what he knew.

“Did anyone see stairs leading down?” Warrick asked.

“Yeah,” Blade replied. “Follow me.”

We trudged back through the corridors to a corner. The stairs sat there, caged in and winding down into darkness.

“Oh, this hasn’t got horror movie monster all over it,” Tinkerbell snapped. She threw ice at the lock, and it broke when she wrenched it open.

“Let me go…”

Tinkerbell turned to Hatton. “Look, I get it. You’re an alpha male, all big and badass. But can you freeze something trying to kill you? No? Then let the bitch with the cryokinesis lead,” Tinkerbell retorted.

Hatton pursed his lips, but Tinkerbell was right.

“Sparrow, take her back,” I ordered. Hatton had to suck it up. He was normal. My club wasn’t. As much as it galled him, we were more powerful in this situation. I didn’t have time to pander to a macho man’s ego. Even so, he followed them straight down, and I shook my head.

“He needs to protect people, Sapphire. Don’t emasculate him,” Hayden said, making me glower. Hayden was annoyed with me.

“He can’t,” I snapped.

“Must you chuck that in his face? Let Hatton help instead of fighting him,” Hayden murmured. “Will it hurt?”

I opened my mouth and then closed it. Hayden was right. I was challenging Hatton just to be difficult and throw my weight around. “Fine!”

“Thank you,” he whispered and kissed the shell of my ear, making me shiver.

Dagger

“Didn’t expect that,” I stated as we gazed at the large holding cell down here. Thirty people were locked up, including Ace, Fume, and Jazz. The three prospects looked seriously pissed.

“What the fuck happened?” Jazz demanded as Tinkerbell approached. Fume and Ace took her side and covered Tinkerbell as she froze the lock and broke it. They waited a few moments, then yanked it open.

“We were attacked,” Sapphire said and began explaining.

I eyed the thirty people with them suspiciously. The party had more guests than this. Where were the rest?

“Okay, so now what? Can’t we blast a hole through the bricks?” Jazz queried.

“We could, but that would weaken Sparrow, and we don’t know what else is waiting for us. We’re keeping that as our last resort,” Sapphire explained.

“Have you seen anyone?” I asked.

“No. We all went down together, and we woke up here, separated from everyone,” Ace scowled. It was clear she didn’t like that distinction.

“What is going on? Can someone explain? Is this some sort of joke?” The townies flung questions around, and Hatton tried to calm them down. Nearly all were hysterical and making more noise than I could handle.

“Now what? If we’re locked in this building, how do we get out?” Jazz asked.

“Sapphire, we have to break a doorway down,” Sparrow remarked. “We’ve got townies present.”