Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

29. Og's Den

Kerry

"So, where are we going?" Gigi asked as we walked along the sidewalk the next morning.

"To free the peri queen. It's not far from here. Maybe half a mile. We could walk there in about ten minutes, or we could try to catch the bus."

"Let's walk," she said.

I wasn't feeling too talkative, but Gigi didn't seem to mind. I was thankful for that. I could only play at being civilized for so long. Too much was brewing inside. That's why I'd left Jax at the safehouse. In this mood, I couldn't vouch for his safety if he poked at me.

When I called her last night, Amanda said she had an idea and would get to work on it right away. That didn't help me much now, though.

Where is my angel? Is she safe? Is she crying? Is she afraid? Is she in the dark?

The questions circled in my mind, fueling my rage. I had to keep too busy to think or I would go insane, so I made myself stay on high alert, mindful of my promise to Jax that nothing would harm Gigi on my watch.

"Kerry?"

"Yeah?" I swung my eyes down at her.

"What will I need to do?"

"Help me get her out of her cell or pen or whatever iron Og is keeping her in."

"Will it be dangerous? Is that why you wouldn't let Jax come along?"

"Anything can be dangerous. If you feel threatened, 'port back to Jax."

"What about you?" She blinked up at me.

"If things get dangerous," I half-smiled, "it means I'll be kicking butt and enjoying every second of the fight."

We walked on until I came to a stop in front of a red brick building with a weathered sign advertising rugs from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a lot of other Stans. The large display windows were dusty and dim, and the wooden door had been painted green at some point in its long life. I reached for the handle.

"Uh, the sign says cl—" Gigi started to say, but the door opened when I turned the knob.

With a shrug, I went inside and glanced around at row after row of rolled-up rugs standing from floor to ceiling. My nose was hit with the heavy odor of wool and must and some sharp chemical. Since that was all normal, I turned and motioned her in. Creaking like an old man's knees, the door swung closed behind her.

"That's quite an organic smell, isn't it?" She fanned one hand under her nose. "I think they need a dehumidifier in here and some air fresheners. A lot of air fresheners."

"The smell hides what lives here. Well, lived here." I jerked my head forward. "Come on."

Without any more questions, she followed me down twisty, dark aisles.

My ears picked up sounds of rattling and clacking, which grew louder the further we went. When we came to a staircase that went down into a black hole, she had to speak up for me to hear her over it.

"We're going down there?"

"Oh. Sorry. Should have brought you a flashlight."

Of all neph classes, guides, warriors, and messengers have the best night vision and watchers have none. At least, no more than any human does. So I reached out, touched my fingers to the cinder block wall, and allowed some power to seep into it. Not enough to ruin my own night vision, but enough that she'd have a blue glow to work with.

We went down the stairs until we hit the basement floor. A few feet ahead, I could see light from an open doorway. Even though I didn't sense anyone other than the peri, I dropped Gigi's hand, went in first, and made sure the workroom was clear. Only then did I move aside to let her in.