Caillou Getting Grounded Novels & Stories

It creaks ominously as Cain tests it with his weight. "It'll hold," he whispers. "You first." I swing my legs over, finding footholds among the ancient knots of the climbing plants. Above us, I hear the third-floor door being forced open. We're out of time. Cain practically pushes me down the trellis, following close behind. A sharp crack sounds above—the trellis beginning to pull away from the wall. "Jump!" he hisses when we're still six feet from the ground. I let go, landing in a graceless heap on the grass. Cain follows a second later as the entire trellis tears away from the wall, crashing down beside us.

They were enormous, but Claud and Lycidas stood their ground, unmoved. Claud smirked. “This is going to be fun,” he muttered, eyes glinting under the full moon. With a flick of his wrist, the ground beneath the charging ogres shook, cracks splitting through the earth as thick vines wrapped around their feet, tripping the first wave of attackers. “Earth power. Check.”

She hit the floor running, paws skimming the black ooze, and leaped for the sill. "Down!" someone yelled outside. She launched into the jump, and for one terrible heartbeat, Talia had the wrong angle; she was going to clip the stone. A ribbon of soft white light slid across the sill like a hand smoothing a tablecloth. Lucian, standing a few feet behind her, threw his power out to her like an embrace to give her lift. Gravity lost its bite. They cleared the stone. Kaela twisted midair to take the landing on her shoulder. She hit the ground hard—pain lanced her ribs—but kept her jaws gentle.

Before they had time to react, the ground moaned like a waking giant. “Gabriel you have to move! Hurry!” As Aurora said the words, the ground cracked open and Gabriel’s feet slipped in the loose rubble. “You have to jump away from the cliff face,” she screamed. “Gabriel leap toward me. You can still make it.” He crouched and sprang up, leaping as far as he could toward the other side. He made it across the growing divide, but landed hard, his fingers clawing in the loose rock on the other side. His eyes met Aurora’s and for a moment they simply stared at each other. Her lips whispered his name and then he fell.

I yell at him. He grabs me by my arm and begins dragging me out of the cage. Resistantly, I kick against the bars to ensure he couldn’t pull me out. A lady rushes over, presses my one foot, and I lose grip. Then I fall face first into the ground. I try to stand up, but with one kick, I was down. I moan from the pain. Laying on my side, Kai’s voice hurt my ears. “Stay down, human!” Kai orders me.

I dug my feet into the soil so I won't fall. I snarled at them. “Let me handle this,” Chenault barked. A pair of Rogue hands were on each of my shoulders when— Chenault shifted. One met her sharp lightning-fast claws, the other her fearful-gaping maw. We fell to the ground and it shook the river's surface. Among the three of us, Chenault and I were the only ones to get up alive. ***