Kidnapped|Book 4|A novel in the Blue Moon series| An Avengers fan fiction series|

57- Like Father, Like Daughter

The vision calms her, and looking down, she sees that her hand has lit up again. Turning, Thea casts the flame across the walls, and finally finds the small door in the corner. Walking towards it, she steps carefully over the bodies, pleading that they won't reanimate and clutch at her ankles in desperation for life.

With a staggering sigh of relief, Thea opens the door and quickly slides through it, closing it very firmly behind her. She closes her eyes again, and lets go of the flame, as the hall in front of her is lit, though dimly, with torches.

The doors to the right are all ajar, so with only a quick glance through their shadows, Thea passes them by, knowing perfectly well that Neidra would never leave her powers open to just anyone.

Walking quicker now, Thea is beginning to regret leaving Videl and Angelique by themselves. The silence of solitude is creeping into her bones, and she is beginning to shake again.

She reaches the end of the hallway and throws the door open.

"Hello, little firebird," says Neidra.

*

Peter, Jack, and Thor are making little progress. Thor insists on looking in every single nook and cranny of the house, much to the younger boys' impatience.

"She's not going to hide her mystical three powers in a bloody sheath!" exclaims Jack in an annoyed whisper.

The three of them have made their way through the upper halls of Neidra's mansion, careful to stick close together and to be as silent as possible. They haven't seen any signs of life except for the occasional spider scurrying in the corners.

"It is wise to check regardless," says Thor firmly as they turn a corner. They are now in a hall of closed doors that continues sharply to the right. "This appears to be a bed hall."

"A what?" asks Jack absentmindedly as he inspects a particularly sharp dagger that's hanging off of a wall next to him.

"A hall full of bedrooms," says Peter.

"Did Thea stay in any of these?"

"Perhaps," says Thor.

"I suppose it would be 'wise to check' anyway," says Jack.

Thor looks at him, amused, and then nods, striding towards the first door. He throws it open with a crash, and Peter and Jack cringe simultaneously.

"Would you keep it down?" hisses Jack.

Finding nothing of interest in the mostly empty bedroom, the three continue down the hall. Thor proceeds to open the doors slightly less vociferously, but it is not until they reach the door at the corner do they stop and stare.

It is unmistakably the room that Sif had described Thea had been kept in, but dust litters the floor, and the window is shut tightly. The bed is unmade, and draped gowns hang over the vanity chair at the far wall. Strips of cloth lie in the center of the room, and running forward, Peter picks them up and holds them up to the light.

"There's blood on the floor," says Jack shakily, "Why is there blood on the floor?"

"It old blood," says Peter, "Not recent."

"I can see that," says Jack, "But why is there blood to begin with?!"

"Neidra is cruel and unstoppable at times in her cruelty," says Thor, looking around. Bending to the nightstand, he picks something up. It's the triathlon watch.

"That's Thea's!" exclaims Jack, pulling it away from Thor.

"Indeed," says Thor, looking around, for any signs of Thea's recent presence, "You should hold onto it. If you see her, be sure to return it to her, young friend."