Timeless(30)

Alexandria stomped on the bug, hearing a squishing, crunching sound as its head caved in beneath her shoe. Then she heard another, fainter sound, and she closed her eyes, reluctantly in the dank surrounds encasing her, which were obviously infested with bugs and God only knew what other unpleasant creatures, and listened. She heard the drumming of her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. She heard D'Artagnan's boots scraping on the stony floor as he crushed another bug, or possibly something far more sinister. Then she heard another sound. The sound of metal clanking against metal. Then another sound ... the soft sound of a girl whimpering. Alexandria's eyes shot open and she shrieked just as a large spider with long furry legs dropped down onto the centre of her head like a helicopter landing on a helipad. With both hands whirling above her head like rotor blades on high speed, she attacked the spider fiercely while spinning around in circles like a crazy person, trying to escape the spider and the long wisps of its adhesive web.

Eventually, the spider fell to the ground, where it instantly met a quick death beneath the toe of D'Artagnan's leather boot. Finally, free from the web and the monstrosity of a spider, Alexandria pointed. "That way," she said breathlessly, punching a determined finger into the darkness that stretched out before them. "And, if you don't mind me saying so, if I had to choose between a can of bug spray and your sword right now, the can of bug spray would win hands down, just so you know."

"We'll see," D'Artagnan said, grabbing Alexandria's hand and walking briskly down the tunnel, which was growing darker with each passing moment, as the distance between torches increased. Alexandria squeezed D'Artagnan's hand tighter. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," he offered, noticing the nervous frown deepening on Alexandria's forehead. "I'm quite adept when it comes to saving damsels in distress ... with my sword," he added quickly, slicing through fingers of abandoned cobwebs. The sound of their shoes on the stony floor amplified in the long, narrow tunnel.

Deeper into the tunnel, the path took a sharp turn to the left, bringing them face to face with a heavy timber door.

"I hope you have a spell up your sleeve for unlocking doors, Mademoiselle," D'Artagnan said, studying the bothersome-looking brass lock on the door.

Alexandria let go of his hand, rested her palm against the door and pushed, surprised when the door creaked open a few inches.

D'Artagnan's eyebrows shot up, impressed by her talents. "That was very good," he said admiringly, pushing the door further open. He took a step into the pitch-black room. "Perhaps you could provide some illumination as quickly as you unlocked the door?" he asked.

"It wasn't me," she said, shrugging, a little disappointed. "The door wasn't locked.

"Wait here," D'Artagnan said. "I'll just go back down the tunnel and—"

A torch on the wall burst brightly into flame, bathing the long rows of empty wine racks in a flickering, ghostlike glow. "Now that was me," Alexandria beamed triumphantly.

"Well done, little witch," D'Artagnan said, an impressed expression animating his face.

Alexandria moved deeper into the room. "Is there anyone in here?" she whispered, pausing to listen for answers in the shadows. Nothing. "Hello. Are you in here? We are here to help you," she said, louder this time.

D'Artagnan sheathed his sword. "I don't think we're in the right place. I don't think anyone is in here."

Alexandria heard the clinking sound from earlier, and followed it into the shadows. "Is anyone in here?" she asked again, quickly brushing cobwebs out of her hair.

D'Artagnan grabbed the burning torch on the wall, and walked over to Alexandria, the fiery glow of the torch blooming around them, and there, hanging like a shackled rag doll on the wall, was an unconscious girl who, Alexandria thought with a sudden sadness, looked to be only a year or two older than herself.

"Help her," Alexandria shouted, rushing to the girl and hugging her around the waist, trying to share the burden of her weight.

D'Artagnan shoved the burning torch into an empty sconce on the wall, then tried to pull the chains out of the wall. "I can't do it," he said after a moment. "I'm not strong enough."

Alexandria struggled with the girl's dead weight. "Can't you cut through them with your sword or something?"

He shook his head. "We need the key. That's the only way these manacles are coming off."

The girl lifted her head a fraction, then let it fall against Alexandria's shoulder.

"I can't hear you," Alexandria whispered. "Say it again."

The girl's lips, cracked and swollen, moved again against Alexandria's ear.