Page 41 of Medusa

There was no movement in any area of the house.

Dropping back down onto the grass, she wiped the brick dust from her fingers onto the seat of her jeans and crept to the back door.

She tried the knob first; it was locked.

Why would it be easy?

She grumbled to herself. Checking under the mat first, she found nothing but some creepy crawlies and old dirt. She reached up as high as she could and felt the frame along the top of the door. Something fell to her feet and she picked up a weather worn brass key. She slid it into the lock and it turned easily, opening on well-oiled hinges.

Thanking her luck, Maddie tiptoed into the kitchen, ears perked for any sound within the house. She tucked the key into her pocket, just in case she might need it, and closed the door as carefully as she’d opened it.

Maddie wet her dry lips with her tongue, preparing herself to use her gift. She wished she could take a drink of water, but didn’t want to turn on the tap. Pipes could make such a noise when used.

A door to the basement in the corner of the kitchen was ajar, and the light was on.

The stairs were open to below, and Maddie swallowed hard, trying not to imagine what could happen if someone grabbed at her ankles between the risers. Lying flat on the kitchen floor and ignoring the grime, she army crawled toward the stairs, dropping her head down to peer upside down into the basement.

The result was slightly anticlimactic.

The entire space was empty. It was as if this house was only a temporary hideout. She wondered if the other rooms were as sparse as the dining room and basement.

The furnace and hot water tank were in one corner. All along the opposite wall, however, was a cement wall with a door near the bottom of the stairs.

Maddie frowned, pulling herself back up to a crouch. She hugged her knees to her chest as she chewed on her lower lip. If the men were up here and she went downstairs, they’d have her trapped. If the men were downstairs and she searched up here first, they might hear her footsteps.

The light being on in the basement helped her finally make the decision. She took the steep stairs one at a time, stepping as close to the edge as she could to avoid creaking.

At the bottom, she took a moment to calm her heartbeat and looked around to see if she’d missed anything.

She had.

Tucked under the stairs was a desk with a computer set up. On the screen was the view of the back of a man chained awkwardly to the ceiling. Facing him was the man the short one had called Typhon. The other two were against the far wall.

Maddie’s heart broke at seeing Jaden on the screen. He looked awful. She wouldn’t be able to look at him in person until she dealt with the other three or else she’d burst into tears. The edge of the door, she hoped, was visible on the edge of the screen, and she prepared herself to enter.

The door was heavier than she’d expected. She pushed as hard as she could, and managed to catch the two lackeys unprepared. They froze in place instantly at her high C, their bodies becoming like stone.

One against one.

She much preferred those odds, even if one of them was a dragon shifter.

“What the fu—” Typhon roared.

Maddie needed to put the table between him and her before he caught her. She couldn’t afford to have him choke her. She’d be defenseless.

“Maddie!” Jaden’s voice was barely a croak. “Get away from him!”

Swallowing hard, she ignored him, focusing her entire attention on the dangerous man closing in on her.

Typhon turned an interesting shade of puce as he stared at her. “Ruby?” he said, sounding flabbergasted. “What are you doing here?”

“Followed you. You see, you kidnapped someone I care about very much. You’re going to pay for that.” She was grateful she managed to say all that without a quaver in her tone.

“He’s a dragon!” Jaden whispered, voice cracking in his urgency. “Get out while you still can!”

“Neat trick. What you did to my men, Ruby. How’d you do it?” Typhon asked, moving slowly around the table. Maddie kept pace with him, keeping the furniture between them.

“Family trait,” Maddie said. Her back was to Jaden now, which meant he wouldn’t get hit by her voice.

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