Deadly Designs (Design Series) Read Online Free

consciousness, waiting to take over. She'd come to rely on the stylus and sketchbook so much that she found herself at a loss. Her simple codex, not like the high-tech one that Eric wore, didn't appear to be functioning either. That hadn't stopped her from pushing all the buttons several times, hoping to recreate the same musical combination Eric had used, but the instrument made no sound.
    Had the Councilman switched hers for a broken codex? Or were the thick prison walls preventing the codex from functioning? It had been a hellish couple of days, leaving no time to study the wrist units. She'd figured Eric could give her some one-on-one training in a week or two. When things had calmed down.
    Not great planning on her part.
    And if she couldn't use her stylus to draw her way out of here, or portal her way back through the codex's abilities, she was literally stuck here with only old fashioned methods of escape. Now if only she knew what they were.
    With no weapons or anything to make a weapon from, it's a good thing she had yet to see her captors. For all intents and purposes, she'd been dumped into a hole in the ground and forgotten.
    A horrible thought and one she really didn't want to dwell on.
    If only she had her stylus. She could only hope whoever had it was taking care of it. There were souls in there. Souls that needed care.
    Wait .
    She had been able to communicate verbally with her stylus, at least while she'd been holding it. She'd still had to write the answers down, but…maybe she could scratch a message in the dirt? Their bond was strong and they would eventually be able to communicate telepathically – when her skills developed further.
    It was worth a try. But what did she have to scratch in the dirt with? The tab on her jacket zipper caught her eye. Made from hard metal, it had ripped half off already. With a hard tug, she pulled the tab off. Walking back to where she'd first regained consciousness, she squatted and scratched in the ground, Stylus, can you hear me?
    Silence.
    Pressing harder, she scratched again. Stylus, I'm in trouble. Can you help?
    More silence.
    Damn it. Fear started an insidious slide inside her mind. She tried again, harder, almost making her fingers bleed with the attempt. Stylus. I need help. Contact Paxton. I need Eric's help to escape.
    Nothing.
    What had she expected? She bowed her head.
    Essentially, she'd been tossed into a hellhole and no one knew. Except…maybe the Councilman. The man was a power hungry toad. Remembering the look of satisfaction in his beady eyes as she disappeared to God knew where sent more shivers down her spine. It also had another effect.
    Anger and pride rose to battle the loneliness and fear. She would not let him win.
    She refused.
    ***
    Paxton let his stylus move freely across the page. Eric crowded behind him, trying to read the message as it came through.
    Storey is calling for help.
    Both men gasped. Paxton quickly scratched out a question. "Where is she?"
    Not here.
    "We know that. Is she at her home?" Eric snapped, worry making his voice sharper than he intended.
    No.
    Paxton frowned. "Is she in her home dimension?"
    No.
    Horror rose in Eric's stomach and was matched by the horror in Paxton's eyes. "Do you know where she is?"
    No.
    "Then how did you know to contact us?"
    Her stylus says she is trying to contact Eric.
    Excitement whistled through Eric. He knew Storey would find a way to contact him. They'd rescue her yet. "Why can't her stylus bring her home?"
    Silence.
    With growing unease, Eric said to Paxton, "Ask if Storey has her stylus with her."
    Eyes wide, Paxton did as requested. The answer wasn't long in coming.
    No.
    Both men shook their heads. Eric frowned, trying to figure out how this communication worked. "Then how did the stylus know that Storey is trying to contact us?"
    Paxton's jumped in with another question first. "So Storey can communicate with her stylus, even though she's not touching it?"
    With the souls in it.
    Both