I sat on the bed in the cell I'd been put in. I shook my leg and I bit my nails. What were they going to do to me? Why did they want me? What was Paige thinking right now?

At least my headaches were mostly gone.

The door to the cell opened and a man walked in. He was slim and tall and wore dark jeans and a dark blue sleeveless t-shirt that exposed his arms. One arm was made of metal and had glowing purple veins. Information flooded my mind when I saw it, the model, the manufacturing date and manual, everything. I pushed it away and focused on the man.

The other arm was normal but had a tattoo of a chain around his upper arm and one of a book on the inside of his forearm. He was wearing small silver stud earrings and a dark gray ring with a pattern I couldn't make out around his left ring finger. He had a little bit of facial hair with deepset eyes and thin eyebrows. He was handsome in a scary sort of way. I remembered those eyes, one orange and one purple. He was the man who had taken me.

I shrunk back. This man looked Middle Eastern. Enough had been going on in the world for me to be afraid of him. Enough was flashing before my eyes to be terrified of him.

He pulled the chair in front of me and sat down.

"No need to look so frightened. We brought you here because you were in danger," he said. He was definitely Middle Eastern. I could tell by his accent even though it was slight.

"What danger? I was fine until you grabbed me," I said. I clamped my hand over my mouth. I couldn't make my kidnapper angry with me if I wanted to survive.

"I was not told of the details myself."

"Why am I here? Even if I was in danger, why would you try to help me?" she asked.

"I need you to answer some questions first," the man said. "What is your name?"

"You say you want to help me but you don't even know my name?" I asked.

"It was a last minute decision. So, what is it?"

"Amber Ward," I said.

"Amber, tell me about that bracelet," he said, pointing to the golden band around my wrist.

"It was my mother's."

"Do you know anything else about it?"

"No. Why are you interested in my bracelet? It's just a family heirloom," I say.

"Tell me, Amber," the man said leaning closer. I leaned away from him. "What happened when you put it on?"

"Um..." I wasn't sure what to say. I had already concluded that the vision was a lack of sleep and I had just forgotten about getting a tattoo. It didn't make any sense but that is what I was going with.

"Let me jog your memory. You went to a strange place you'd never seen before. When you woke up, hours had passed. Then you saw that scroll tattoo on your arm," the man said.

"How did you know?"

"You aren't the only one with a key. You are, however, the only one with the key to the Scroll of Knowledge and that is why you are in danger."

I was lost. "The Scroll of what? Look, I just want to go home. I have a funeral to plan and I wouldn't be of any use to you. Just drop me off anywhere and I'll pretend like this never happened."

"I don't think you would like it if I did that. We're in Russia and you're not dressed for this kind of weather."

I choked on my own spit. "Russia? Are you serious?"

"Tell me about your boyfriend," the man said.

"Wait. Russia? How did we get here so fast? Did you drug me? Or are you just playing with my head?" I never paid much attention in Geography class but I was pretty certain the Russia was far from Los Angeles. I saw numbers but I pushed them away.

"Your boyfriend, Amber. Tell me about him."

"Who? Derek? What does he have to do with anything? Is he in danger too?" I asked.

"Amber, just answer the question and please do so quickly. I don't have time to waste. If you will not speak willingly, then I will make you speak and that is not something either one of us wants," he said, his eyes hard and cold. I shivered.

"He's doing his internship at a lawyer's office. There isn't much to say about him," I said. I wondered if they planned to kidnap him too.

"Has he shown any interest in your bracelet?"

"Not really. He did spend all day helping me search for it but that isn't strange. He was very happy when I told him I found it. The last time I saw my mother, she told me she wanted me to have it."

He said nothing for a moment. "Your phone." The man held out his hand. I slowly pulled it out of my pocket. I had no signal and couldn't make any calls. He took it in his metal hand. The phone sparked and started smoking. I grabbed it from him.

"What did you do?" I shout. This phone was expensive. I couldn't afford another, not with the funeral costs.

"Keeping you safe."

"Safe from what? What am I in danger from?"

"Not what. Who."

"Then, who am I in danger from?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"Your boyfriend."

*******

When Thomas entered the room, all he saw was a lump underneath the sheets. He smiled and pulled back the covers.

"Cold?" he asked.

Shay looked up at him and rubbed her eyes. She always looked so cute when she was half asleep. "Excellent. My heater has returned."

He laughed and lied down next to her. She pulled the covers over her head again and hugged his waist.

"So warm," she said, rubbing her head against his stomach.

"Hey. Stop that. It tickles," Thomas said, laughing. "How is the headache?" he asked. "Your nose isn't bleeding anymore."

"It's mostly gone," she said, her voice muffled by the sheets. "Did you find out anything?"

Thomas reached underneath the sheets and pulled her up so he could hug her properly. "She's even more clueless than we were three years ago. She said her boyfriend spent all day helping her search for the bracelet. I wouldn't even spend all day helping you search for your wedding ring."

"Your love overwhelms me," Shay said.

He laughed and pulled her closer. "I'm guessing the boyfriend knew about the Scroll of Knowledge and wanted the bracelet." He paused. "I wonder if he's the reason her mother is dead," he said softly. Thomas had been the one who had killed Shay's older sister, the previous keyholder. At the time he hadn't known they were sisters and even though she'd been a terrible person who did many evil things and Shay wasn't still angry with him, he still felt guilty about it.

"No. She was already sick and dying by the time he met Amber. All he had to do was wait," Shay said.

"It would be easier if you talked to her."

"I'm not brave enough to try it yet. My head still hurts," Shay said. Thomas' stomach growled. She looked at the clock. "It's already morning."

"I'm craving pancakes for some reason," Thomas said.

"I would make them for you but I see no future where that goes well. Not after a night of sleeplessness because of headaches."

"I'll make them. Do you want any?"

"Two," she said.

They got up and went to the kitchen. Shay sat on the counter while Thomas made the pancakes. When he leaned forward to get the sugar, she kissed him. He ignored her and continued making the batter. She sighed loudly and jumped down.

"Where are you going?" Thomas asked.

"To make a profile on whichever is the most popular dating website," Shay said. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder while still pouring the ingredients into the mixer. She laughed. "You could have just said no. Put me down."

"Stay still. You'll spill everything."

She patted his butt. "Arr. That be me precious booty."

"You're pirate voice is pathetic," Thomas said.

She rested her hand on his bare back. "You're heating up. Is something... bothering you?" she asked. He could feel her grinning.

"Keep moving around like this and I won't have any batter for the pancakes."

"Then put me down."

"I don't want to," Thomas said. Shay stuck her cold finger into his ear. He dropped her and rubbed his ear. "Ugh. You know how much I hate that," he said. He grinned evilly. "There's only one--"

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Thomas jumped and turned around. Ashia, his twenty-two year old half-sister, was standing in the entrance. She was nine years younger than him and three years younger than Shay and Zahir's third child. Thomas was the first and Luca, who was twenty-four, was the second. He had thirteen other half-siblings.

Thomas pulled Shay in front of him.

"My house. I'm allowed to not wear pants," he said. He and Shay had made a deal when they'd bought the house. The AC stays low so she doesn't freeze if Thomas didn't have to wear clothes so he doesn't overheat. That meant that once he was inside, he only wore his underwear, or shorts if it was cold. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you wait outside?"

"Why would I do that if I can just let myself in?" Ashia said. "Oh, you're making pancakes. I want some."

"Plain or strawberry?" Shay asked.

"Is that really the most appropriate thing to ask?" Thomas asked.

"Plain," Ashia said. She sat at the counter. "Relax, Ju. I've seen you burn off your clothes enough times to not be bothered with seeing you in your underwear."

"That doesn't make it any better and I told you to call me Thomas." Only Luca had agreed to call him Thomas. Everyone else still insisted that he was Junaid. "Why are you even here?"

"Oh. Right. I forgot. Must not have been important," Ashia said. Thomas was ready to kick her out but she shot him a discreet wink. She must be here because of the anniversary plans. She was helping him set it up and get Shay's present. He would have to talk to her later.

Shay stuck her finger into the batter and licked it off. "Needs more milk," she said. She held out the bowl for Ashia to taste.

"Definitely needs more milk," Ashia said.

Thomas rolled his eyes and added in more milk.

"I heard you guys kidnapped someone last night," Ashia said "I thought you didn't do that anymore."

"She has a key like mine," Shay said, her face serious. She forced on a smile. "I have the key to the Book of Time. She has the key to the Scroll of Knowledge."

"Shay, your nose is bleeding," Ashia said.

Thomas spun around. Blood was flowing from her nose. Shay held a napkin to it.

"Mind giving me some help?" she asked.

Ashia held Shay's face in her hands. The bleeding stopped.

"Is this because of her?" Ashia asked.

"Yes," Shay said. "But I think it's getting better. It was worse yesterday."

"Maybe you should go lie down," Thomas said. "I'll bring the pancakes when they're done."

Shay sat down next to Ashia. "I'm fine but there's something bothering me."

"What?" he asked.

"I think Derek is a part of a larger group. I keep seeing people with a strange tattoo that I can't make out, but I'm seeing them in many different locations, not just where we got Amber."

"A large group just to get one key?" Ashia asked.

Thomas put down the bowl and leaned against the counter. "No. What she's saying is that there are more artifacts and they know more about them than we do."