Page 111 of Mystery in the Mountains

This was Asher’s chance.

He yanked the chains again. He tried to get his wrists to slip out. A pain shot up his arm as he pulled at it before a stream of blood ran down his hand. Even with the door open and the forest in sight, he was stuck here. If only he could get there, he knew the forest would take care of these two douchebags. But that thought just mocked him.

The two warlocks made their way back into the trailer.

“Hello . . . Yeah, we got one of them . . . The skinny one . . . Yeah, he’s alone . . . We’ll be here.”

Wind gusted around the trailer so hard it started to shake. Both men exchanged a curious glance before peeking through the dingy blinds.

The ground started shaking. The blinds they’d just been looking out began to slap against the windows.

Asher’s eyes went wide. There had never been an earthquake on this mountain. Then hope pricked at his heart—he only knew of one person with this kind of power.

Bridget.

“What is going on?” one of the guys said with a concerned expression as he looked out the window.

A loud bang sounded as the front door was kicked open. Abe, Esther, Bridget, and Sunny came storming in. As soon as he saw Sunny, his heart soared. A part of him had been so afraid she had left him, but here she was, saving him. She must have used the bond. There was no other way.

And the fact that Abe wasn’t a big grizzly bear pointed even more to the fact that somehow their magic wasn’t working.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” one of the guys said, stepping up to Abe.

Abe grabbed him up by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. “You look familiar. Give me one reason not to kill you right now.”

“You won’t be able to kill us like you did our brother,” the man said before he spat in Abe’s face.

His brother.

His brother was Dale, the motel owner who had come after Julie last fall.

Another piece of this mysterious puzzle clicked into place.

“You’re related to the little weasel from the motel, then?” Bridget asked, seemingly unbothered. “What do you say we let the mountain handle them, just like we did with your brother?”

Asher’s eyes were glued to Abe and the man he had pinned to the wall. He had almost forgotten about the other brother and the fact that there was a shotgun in here until he heard the cocking of the hammer.

His eyes flew to the man who had been inching closer to the gun. He was surprised to find him standing with his hands up, angry eyes on his sister.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said, pointing a handgun at him.

He’d never been more thankful to have a terrifying older sister.

“I’m done.” Abe pulled the man from the wall and took him outside.

Esther forced the other man out of the trailer.

“Move,” she said, jamming the barrel into his back.

Asher watched from the wall he was still chained to, too powerless to help, as his brother and sister marched them out the door.

Sunny came running to him. “Asher! Oh my god, are you okay?”

She pulled in vain on the chains before noticing his hand, gasping, “You’re hurt.”

“No, Sunshine. I’m okay,” he said, wishing he could comfort her.

“Give these a try,” Bridget said, tossing her keys she found on the desk.

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