The Scroll of Knowledge

Chapter 12

Derek hadn't come back. I curled myself into a tighter ball. Snow fell around me. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.

"You have the key," Terry said. "Get us out before we freeze."

"I can't reach the lock. The cage can't be opened from inside," I said. I had torn my sweater trying to reach the lock. None of the others would be able to reach theirs either and the cages were too far apart for them to open each other's.

"We have to wake her up," Fiona said, her teeth chattering. She wasn't covered in snow like I was since she was further away but the entire room felt like a freezer.

"I c-can't," I said. I could barely feel my hands and feet. Where was Derek? He said he was coming back. Someone needed to wake up Shay or we were going to freeze to death.

"We just have to wait," Terry said. He and Rokas were much further from her than Fiona and I was but even they were curled up into balls to conserve body heat.

"Wait," Rokas said.

I didn't answer. I was shivering too much. Every breath hurt my nose.

"Amber is going to die first if this doesn't stop," Fiona said.

"What can we do? We can't wake up Shay and even if we could, you saw how weak and tired she was. She wouldn't be able to control it anyway," Terry said.

"That's if she's still alive," Fiona said.

"She's a-alive," I said. Why else would it be snowing? I would die if this continued. Derek. Brennan. Where were they?

*****

"Brennan, we're waiting for your signal," Zahir said.

"Is everyone in place?" Brennan asked.

"Set," Rizalia said.

"Ready," some other guy said.

"Brennan," Thomas said slowly. He wore a camera that was pinned to his t-shirt so that Brennan could see what he saw and at that moment. There was a decent amount of guards.

Thomas had spent the last ten hours meditating to calm down and allow his body to heal, but even that didn't cure his impatience. Shay was in that building and he had to get to her. He could see the guards from where he was crouched on the roof. He was itching to move but he trusted Brennan to make the right call.

"Go!" Brennan shouted.

Thomas dropped down right in the middle of the men. He lit one on fire, shocked the second and slammed the third into the wall so hard the wall cracked.

Someone grabbed him from behind. Thomas reached behind him with his right arm and pulled the man over his head. He tossed him to the side and headed for the door. Five more men appeared in front of him. Thomas was starting to get annoyed. They were wasting his time. He needed to get to Shay.

"Deal with them quickly," Brennan said through the earpiece. "They know we're here."

The ground under Thomas' feet moved and something was forming in the snow around him. A wall of earth and ice appeared between him and the door.

They weren't going to keep him from getting to Shay.

He punched the wall with his melt fist. There was a small crack. It was taking too long.

"Ju!" Brennan shouted.

Thomas yelled. His hand flamed. He punched the wall. It shattered in front of him. They blocked his path.

"Get out of my way!" he shouted.

He grabbed one by the collar and threw him against the wall. One of them tried to throw ice at him. Taking them on one by one was taking too long. He slammed his two hands together and flicked them at the men. They were blown away by the explosion.