One minute I was thinking about rune arrays and how we could get out of there and the next I was staring into Myra’s surprised face. I smirked and tightened my arms slightly for a second. Was this an illusion or was she truly here? I could smell her storm at-sea scent and smiled.

  “Um,” she said and I smirked.

  “So you did get out, My, but you might want to get off me,” I said, dropping my arms.

  She blushed harder and scrambled to her feet helping me up. Datha and the others were shocked but I kept smiling. She was within my grasp again and that felt good!

  “Just where the hell did you come from!” Yelled Mikale as he pointed his gun at her.

  She smiled as non-threatening as possible.

  “I’m human really,” she said and I laughed.

  “Humans don’t appear in cages from nothing,” said Mikale, one eyebrow raised.

  “I do,” she muttered, elbowing me as I cracked up. Man, I had missed her. She had gotten free of those megalomaniacs on her own.

  “So how did you escape,” I asked and she turned to me with an exhausted look.

  “I’ll tell you later,” she said, turning to Datha and squealing. “You’re here! I thought I had sent you to another dimension!”

  Datha smiled. “I’m glad that was not the case. Do you know Atesh, Niran, Ruckus, and Nero?” she asked, pointing to each one. Atesh waved blushing. Niran nodded and Ruckus extended his hand while Nero gazed at her from his place by the bars.

  “I knew them briefly,” she said and waved back. “ Hey, guys. I appreciate the rescue attempt,” she said smiling.

  Atesh turned brighter than his fire and Niran slapped his back smirking. “You didn’t need it,” he said.

  Myra smirked and shook her head. “No but it’s the thought that counts,” she said, confusing them.

  “An Earth saying,” I muttered and they nodded, smiling.

  “So, what do we do now?” asked Ruckus. Rubbing his neck and grimacing when he encountered solid metal.

  “I’m thinking,” I said, one hand over my chin and the other crossed under it. I began to pace. Mikale wanted to harness Nero’s power so that meant they knew about runes but did they have a rune’s master? I could barter my skills for some freedom and…

  “I can take those necklaces off and we can blow this joint,” said Myra smirking.

  I forgot she could do that!

  “Sounds like a good plan,” I said smirking and she smiled pressing her glowing hand against the collar. I heard the clink and it fell into my hands. I was ready for it, not wanting for the metal to hit the stone floor. She did the same with everyone’s collar. Nero set his collar to the side and rubbed his neck. I could make out the extra needle pokes in his neck. Were they draining him already? Was that why he was so weak still? I frowned and watched as Myra healed those marks too. They left steady blood trails down his neck as if a vampire had a snack on him. I summoned some wind to me and did a rune array that would open the gate door silently. As I crafted the array, Mikale came back.

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  “Why did the array stop draining ?” he asked and instead found himself at the mercy of six kin and one human. I held Mikale captive with one hand pinning his behind his back while Ruckus had a hold of his weapon.

  “You’ll show us the way out of here,” I said.

  “No! They’re..mmph!”

  I glanced at Myra who had stuffed something down his throat.

  She shrugged. “He was going to yell,” she said.

  I smirked. “ I think I’ve been a bad influence on you,” I muttered and dragged Mikale to the room’s exit, a big metal door that Ruckus made short work of opening. We swept down the long passageway, past the nosy entrances, and past the office we had been brought to.

  “Where to Mikale,” I asked but he kept silent. I turned to him. He glowered the piece of metal still in his mouth.

  “We’re going to find the escape on our own. If I remove that piece of metal from his mouth, he’ll start screaming,” said Myra. I nodded and we left him tied in the office, a present for Jason’s hospitality. We pilfered seven badges with the Human Alliance logo on them, a brown H with a red A overimposed on it. Simple as symbols went. I let some wind go and followed it. It would lead us to the entrance or an escape route as wind usually flowed free from such enclosures. Atesh and Niran lit a small fire to guide us through the tunnels. The deeper we went the smellier it got and we had to travel through nasty water reaching our knees. We climbed onto a ledge every time we could. Finally, the wind led us down a passage that was drier and held a manhole high above.

  “We climb now,” I said pointing to some stairs. The others nodded and we began climbing the steep stairs until we were in front of the manhole. Ruckus wiggled it open and took a peek outside. He lowered the manhole slab and turned to us.

  “There are two alliance men outside guarding the manhole,” he said.

  “I can handle them,” said Myra. I glanced at her drooping form.

  “You sure?” I asked worriedly.

  “Yes,” she answered, pepping up. She squeezed to the front and Ruckus lifted the manhole for her to climb out. A few minutes later a tapping was heard on the manhole and Ruckus peeked out. He came back smiling. “It’s safe,” he said and rose from the manhole. Niran followed then Atesh and Datha. Finally, Nero and I joined them. I stepped into the fresh air and took a deep clean breath of fresh air. It was something I sorely missed being trapped in sewers for so long. My ears picked up a small town not so far off. I turned to Myra who was pillaging the men of their cash. She definitely spent too much time with me. I smirked.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “They won’t need it will you boys? She asked, smirking.

  “No, mistress,” said one.

  “Have it all,” said another offering his coin purse and Myra took it.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, what did you do to them?”

  “Hypnotized them. Something Siren can do,” she muttered, I thought back on her mental illness, where she was getting crazy power from, and nodded, “Alright. Let’s go. You pilfered enough cash to buy some new duds,” I said.

  She nodded and turned to the men. “Go to sleep,” she crooned and I felt my eyelids grow heavy. My thoughts scattered like the wind for a minute and I couldn’t think. I stared blankly at Myra.

  “Hey, Jonah are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

  I blinked and nodded. “Yeah, lost my train of thought for a minute,” I said, shaking my head and zoning back in.

  She looked sheepish. “Sorry, I kind of forgot it might have an effect on you too,” she said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m fine,” I said, turning from her before grabbing her arm. “Come on. We need to get you new clothes and," I sniffed and wrinkled my nose. "A bath.”

  “Are you saying I stink!”

  I smirked. Good old Myra. She took things way too personally.

  “Yes, now hurry up,” I said. Her eyes sparked with fireworks and she humphed crossing her arms. I smiled and pulled her against me, hugging her.

  “I’m glad you’re back,” I whispered and she smiled.