LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . hoo

XVII.

THE AMAZON JAIL was at the tip of a storage aisle, sixty feet in the air.

Kinzie led Mia and Hazel up three different ladders to a metal catwalk, then tied their hands loosely behind their backs and pushed them along past crates of jewelry.

A hundred feet ahead, under the harsh glow of fluorescent lights, a row of chain-link cages hung suspended from cables. Percy and Frank were in two of the cages, talking to each other in hushed tones. Next to them on the catwalk, three bored-looking Amazon guards leaned against their spears and gazed at little black tablets in their hands like they were reading.

"Get moving, girl," Kinzie ordered, loud enough for the guards to hear. She prodded Hazel in the back with her sword.

Mia walked as slowly as she could, her mind was racing. She needed to come up with a brilliant rescue plan. Kinzie had made sure she could break her bonds easily, but she'd still be empty-handed against three trained warriors, and she had to act before they put her and her sister in a cage.

She passed a pallet of crates marked 24-CARAT BLUE TOPAZ RINGS, then another labeled SILVER FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS. An electronic display next to the friendship bracelets read:People who bought this item also bought GARDEN GNOME SOLAR PATIO LIGHT and FLAMING SPEAR OF DEATH. Buy all three and save 12%!

Mia hissed, as if she was trying to get out of her bonds but she couldn't, nodding her head imperceptibly toward the jewelry.

Next to her, Hazel froze. So naturally, Mia also stopped.

"What is it?" Kinzie hissed. "Keep moving! They'll get suspicious."

"Make them come here," Hazel muttered over her shoulder.

"Why—"

Mia felt a small smirk pull on her lips, though she quickly lost it. "It's all a part of our plan."

The guards frowned in their direction.

"What are you staring at?" Kinzie yelled at them. "Here are the prisoners. Come get them."

The nearest guard set down her reading tablet. "Why can't you walk another thirty paces, Kinzie?"

"Um, because—"

"Ooof!" Mia fell to her knees and put on her nauseated face, the face she used whenever she wanted to get out of doing something. "I'm feeling sick! Can't . . . walk. Too . . . scary."

Hazel collapsed next to her, moaning as if she was sick as well.

"There you go," Kinzie told the guards. "Now, are you going to come take the prisoners, or should I tell Queen Hylla you're not doing your duty?"

The nearest guard rolled her eyes and trudged over.

The first guard grabbed Mia and Hazel's arms. "Fine. I'll take custody of the prisoners. But if I were you, Kinzie, I wouldn't worry about Hylla. She won't be queen much longer."

"We'll see, Doris." Kinzie turned to leave.

The guard Doris pulled on Mia's arm. "Well? Come on."

"Not . . . feeling so good." Hazel moaned.

"You are not throwing up on me," Doris growled. She tried to yank Hazel to her feet, but Hazel went limp, like a kid throwing a fit in a store. Next to her, the boxes began to tremble.

"Lulu!" Doris yelled to one of her comrades. "Help me with the other girl."

Amazons named Doris and Lulu? Mia thought. Okay, bro.

The second guard jogged over. Before Doris could hand Mia to Lulu, Mia yelled, "Ooooh!" and flattened herself against the catwalk.

Doris started to say, "Oh, give me a—"