The Third Key (The Alaesha Legacy Book 1) by Samantha Warren Page A
Authors: Samantha Warren
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the door. Her hand reached out of its own accord and she stroked the wood. It gave off heat, but it wasn't too hot to the touch.
Dana stepped up beside her, a far away look on her face. The corners of her lips drew up slightly as she examined the door. Her hand reached out slowly, hesitantly, until her fingers were mere millimeters from the surface. Her dazed expression broke into a hurt pout and she pulled her hand away quickly.
"Only you and the Alaeshans can touch it," she told Edith, heavy bitterness tainting her forced smile. "If Alex or I were to try, the skin on our hands would be burned to a crisp."
Edith jumped when Charles spoke at her opposite shoulder. "Not exactly a crisp, but close. More like third degree burns. You wouldn't be using your hands for awhile." His explanation earned him a glare from the cheerleader.
A shuffling noise echoed through the floor from upstairs, followed by a scream. "Go on then, lass. Use the key. Quickly now." The chef headed to the stairs, pausing momentarily to look up. "Poor Jen. I hope I'm not too late." With that, he took off up the steep steps faster than Edith would have thought possible.
A grim mood settled over the group of teenagers as they listened to the noises coming from the diner. A second battle was being waged, and it did not sound like it was going well. Another explosion shook the diner, causing dust and dirt to fall from the ceiling of the small room. A spider landed on Charles's upturned face, snapping him out of his reverie.
He brushed the multi-legged creature off, eliciting a squeal from the girls as it flew toward them before hitting the wall in between. He ignored their protests. "The key, Edith. Quickly now."
She pulled the key from its hiding place. Much to her surprise, it was no longer a shiny silver. Instead it glowed red, as if it had been left in burning coals for hours on end. She gasped and nearly dropped it until she realized that despite appearances, it wasn't at all hot. It was cool to the touch, almost cold, even. She put her hand on the door near the keyhole. In contrast, the door seemed to have grown hotter. She moved the key toward the door, baffled as the key grew still colder while the door became nearly untouchable.
"Hurry, Edith. We haven't much time." Charles had moved to the stairs. The look of fear on his face was all Edith needed. She inserted the key with conviction and turned. It wouldn't budge. She tried turning it again. Nothing happened.
"Other way." Dana snapped as she stared at the ceiling.
Edith frowned and turned the key in the other direction. It hissed and popped like an ice cube dropped into a hot cup of tea. Moments later, several loud clicks could be heard around the outside of the door and it slid inward, pulling the key from Edith's hand. She watched in alarm as the key disappeared into the hole and the door moved to the side. She peered through the new gap in the wall, but all she could see was a dirt tunnel that curved sharply a few feet in.
"Go now, quickly." Charles shooed the others into the tunnel, grabbing a flaming torch from a sconce on the inside of the door. Once they were all through, he turned the sconce ninety degrees and the door slid shut again with a loud clink. Much to Edith's relief, the key popped out again, this time on the inside of the door. She snatched it and shoved it in her pocket.
"How'd it do that? Flip the key around, I mean?" Charles just smiled in response to her question and disappeared around the corner. She trotted to catch up. "I thought this led to another dimension."
"Have faith, my dear one. Have faith." Charles ignored any further questions and Edith settled into gloomy silence.
They walked for what felt to Edith like ages in the cramped tunnel until they came upon another door similar to the last. The explosions faded behind them into nothingness.
"Key."
"Key, please?" mumbled Edith as she slid the object from her pocket and poked it into the hole. This door was not
Dana stepped up beside her, a far away look on her face. The corners of her lips drew up slightly as she examined the door. Her hand reached out slowly, hesitantly, until her fingers were mere millimeters from the surface. Her dazed expression broke into a hurt pout and she pulled her hand away quickly.
"Only you and the Alaeshans can touch it," she told Edith, heavy bitterness tainting her forced smile. "If Alex or I were to try, the skin on our hands would be burned to a crisp."
Edith jumped when Charles spoke at her opposite shoulder. "Not exactly a crisp, but close. More like third degree burns. You wouldn't be using your hands for awhile." His explanation earned him a glare from the cheerleader.
A shuffling noise echoed through the floor from upstairs, followed by a scream. "Go on then, lass. Use the key. Quickly now." The chef headed to the stairs, pausing momentarily to look up. "Poor Jen. I hope I'm not too late." With that, he took off up the steep steps faster than Edith would have thought possible.
A grim mood settled over the group of teenagers as they listened to the noises coming from the diner. A second battle was being waged, and it did not sound like it was going well. Another explosion shook the diner, causing dust and dirt to fall from the ceiling of the small room. A spider landed on Charles's upturned face, snapping him out of his reverie.
He brushed the multi-legged creature off, eliciting a squeal from the girls as it flew toward them before hitting the wall in between. He ignored their protests. "The key, Edith. Quickly now."
She pulled the key from its hiding place. Much to her surprise, it was no longer a shiny silver. Instead it glowed red, as if it had been left in burning coals for hours on end. She gasped and nearly dropped it until she realized that despite appearances, it wasn't at all hot. It was cool to the touch, almost cold, even. She put her hand on the door near the keyhole. In contrast, the door seemed to have grown hotter. She moved the key toward the door, baffled as the key grew still colder while the door became nearly untouchable.
"Hurry, Edith. We haven't much time." Charles had moved to the stairs. The look of fear on his face was all Edith needed. She inserted the key with conviction and turned. It wouldn't budge. She tried turning it again. Nothing happened.
"Other way." Dana snapped as she stared at the ceiling.
Edith frowned and turned the key in the other direction. It hissed and popped like an ice cube dropped into a hot cup of tea. Moments later, several loud clicks could be heard around the outside of the door and it slid inward, pulling the key from Edith's hand. She watched in alarm as the key disappeared into the hole and the door moved to the side. She peered through the new gap in the wall, but all she could see was a dirt tunnel that curved sharply a few feet in.
"Go now, quickly." Charles shooed the others into the tunnel, grabbing a flaming torch from a sconce on the inside of the door. Once they were all through, he turned the sconce ninety degrees and the door slid shut again with a loud clink. Much to Edith's relief, the key popped out again, this time on the inside of the door. She snatched it and shoved it in her pocket.
"How'd it do that? Flip the key around, I mean?" Charles just smiled in response to her question and disappeared around the corner. She trotted to catch up. "I thought this led to another dimension."
"Have faith, my dear one. Have faith." Charles ignored any further questions and Edith settled into gloomy silence.
They walked for what felt to Edith like ages in the cramped tunnel until they came upon another door similar to the last. The explosions faded behind them into nothingness.
"Key."
"Key, please?" mumbled Edith as she slid the object from her pocket and poked it into the hole. This door was not
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