Page 96 of House of Ruin
She led them to the outside of the police station, all the way to the narrow alley between two buildings. Alecto found a spot behind a dumpster, letting it shield her from the street.
“What the fuck are we doing here?” Andro asked, looking around. “They’re gonna notice that we’re gone.”
“No, they won’t.” Val didn’t even look at Andro. Her attention was focused on the brick wall as she walked deeper down the alley. “Nobody paid any attention to us while we sat back there. Who gives a fuck what spoiled Venefica students do? And if I were to guess how long the alumni will be talking with the chief of police, I’d say long enough.”
“Long enough for what?” Alecto asked.
Val walked a few more steps and then stopped. She placed a palm over the brick wall and murmured something Alecto couldn’t hear from where she was standing.
“Long enough for us to sneak in and see Blaze for ourselves,” Val said.
“How are we going to do that?” Jolene crossed her arms. “The cell bars are made out of garnet quartz to block out magic.”
“We’re not attempting a prison break.” Val rolled her eyes. “We’re going to get inside the corridor leading towards the cells and quickly slip inside.”
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to get into more trouble,” Andro argued.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t ask your opinion,” Val shot back. She waved her hand for them to come over. “And anyway, you and Jolene will stay here, making sure the spell holds long enough for me and Alecto to get inside.”
“Fine,” Jolene agreed. “Invisibility spell?”
Val nodded.
They quickly gathered next to Val, linking their hands.
“We’re going to go in through the wall here,” Val explained to Alecto. “It should take us to the main corridor behind the reception. Follow me straight to the cells.”
Alecto nodded.
“And you two do not stop channeling your magic into us until we appear back here. Got it?”
Andro and Jolene both mumbled quiet yeses. Alecto let her eyes close. An image of her body turning translucent, eerie, and light as air filled Alecto’s mind while the chant spilled through her lips.
When she opened her eyes, they were still standing in the narrow alley. But Val’s figure was a bit blurry at the edges, like one of the vintage Polaroids.
Val gave Alecto a curt nod and walked into the wall, disappearing. Alecto followed her, praying she didn’t walk over another witch on the other side.
Thankfully, the corridor was empty.
Without wasting any time, Val strode down the long corridor as if she knew exactly where to go. Silently, Alecto followed. They walked through one door without an issue. And then the next one.
Finally, they reached a heavy metal door with no handles. Val stepped into it, but this time, instead of easily passing through, she stayed on the near side of the wall.
“Fuck,” Val cursed.
Garnet quartz was embedded into the door leading towards the cells. At least they’d come to the right place.
“We wait.” Val gave the command and sat down on the floor next to the door.
Alecto settled next to Val, her legs crossed, and they waited.
And waited.
After five minutes, Alecto was about to suggest dropping it and returning outside, but just then the same young receptionist scurried towards the cell door.
Quickly, Val jumped to her feet, dragging Alecto after her. When the receptionist prickled her finger with a needle and pressed it to the door, Val came as close to the witch as possible.
The moment the door opened, the receptionist went inside, and so did they. They had managed to make their way into the cells. Alecto wasn’t sure how they were going to leave. But she forced herself not to think about it.
