Legend of the Ir'Indicti 5 - Destroyer Read Free

somehow inside the cage, helping Lewis up without opening the door. Lewis, thinking he was hallucinating—people didn't walk through barred cages, after all—allowed the tall youth to pull him off the concrete floor. Ashe slipped a shoulder beneath Lewis' arm and disappeared with his burden.
    "You have to be quiet here," Ashe told Lewis as he set a glass of water on the kitchen island for the former prisoner. Lewis blinked dark eyes at Ashe before gulping the water thirstily, his hand shaking as he held the glass.
    "Slow down, you don't need to choke, there's plenty more," Ashe did his best to calm Lewis. "I'm Ashe, by the way. Ashe Evans. I have canned and packaged food in the pantry, here," Ashe pointed to the small pantry in question. He'd taken Lewis to the hidden room beneath Winkler's new beach house. "So, what will it be? Canned soup, spaghetti or chili?"
    "Kid, who are you?" Lewis rasped, coming to his senses. His reddish-brown hair was shaggy and needed washing, as did the rest of him. Ashe was glad he didn't have a werewolf's sensitive nose; Lewis needed a shower in the worst way. He required food and water first, however, and Ashe wasn't about to call the man to task about his hygiene. It wasn't his fault, after all. When Winkler and the others questioned Chad and Jeremy, they hadn't asked about potential prisoners. Ashe had picked up remnants of extreme sadness emanating from Lewis, who'd determined that he'd been left to die in his cage.
    "I'm just a not so average kid," Ashe replied. "Tell me who you are. I promise to get you home by Monday."
    "What day is it?" Lewis asked. "And I'm Lewis. Lewis Sharpe, from Russellville, Arkansas."
    "It's Friday, August eighth," Ashe replied. "Full moon is," Lewis finished Ashe's sentence for him.
    "Sunday," Lewis muttered hopelessly.
    "It's all right," Ashe reassured the shapeshifter. "My mom shifts into a peregrine falcon on full moons."
    "Your mother's a shifter?" Lewis asked, blinking at Ashe in confusion. Ashe emptied a can of spaghetti into a bowl and shoved it into the microwave while the man continued to stare at Ashe.
    "Yeah. But things are a little strained at the moment. Don't worry, you're as safe as you can be for now, and as soon as you finish eating, there's a washer and dryer behind those doors in the center of the room, a bathroom and shower past that plus that bed over there so you can rest. I'm sorry there's no door in or out of this place, but if you're quiet, nobody else will know you're here until I come back."
    "If there's no door," Lewis lifted the fork Ashe placed before him and dipped into the bowl of microwaved spaghetti, "How did you get in here to begin with?"
    "The same way I'm getting out," Ashe replied. "You'll hear noise above your head all day—people will be moving in. There's nothing to worry about as long as you stay quiet, all right? At least until I can explain things to the owner."
    "Kid, you just hauled me away from certain death. I think I can stay quiet for a little while. Especially since that cabinet is filled with food and there's plenty of water." Lewis nodded toward the kitchen sink where Ashe stood.
    "There's probably soda and juice in the fridge, but you needed water first," Ashe said. "I have to go before people start looking for me." Lewis' fork dropped from numb fingers when Ashe disappeared before his eyes.

Chapter 2  
    "I'm getting my computer unhooked," Ashe called out when Winkler half-shouted his name.
    "Son," Winkler stood in the doorway to Ashe's room that doubled as an office and bedroom, "as soon as you get that stuff carried out to the van, we'll go on. I've got movers coming for the rest."
    "All right, Mr. Winkler. It'll only take a few more minutes." Ashe knew Winkler was feeling the approaching full moon, just like the other wolves. Andy had growled at somebody earlier, and that wasn't like Winkler's trusted assistant. Ashe placed the computer and monitor in a box, the power cords, battery backup and surge