Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

42. The Long Game

Rome

After dinner, Gina ported back to the Box and the rest of us settled in the living room. I turned television to a show Lilah liked and, once she was engrossed, Kerry pried Hinge away from her side.

"You said you found me because I had your knife." Kerry crouched down in front of the little skeleton. "You said you made it, so you can track it, right?"

"Yes. So?"

"How does that work?" Kerry started firing questions. "Could I do the same thing? If Gemma has something I made, could I track it and find her?"

"That depends. What does she have?"
"I drew her a picture of a candle on a piece of paper. It has some of my power stored in it."

"Perfect!" Hinge grinned. "Tracking your power should be simple."

"Oh, no." Mira slapped her palms on her cheeks. "Oh, Kerry. In all the chaos, I forgot to tell you, then forgot I forgot."

"Forgot what?" He narrowed his eyes at her as he stood.

"Rome, can you—"

"I have it, Kerry." I was already on my way to my backpack. "I'll get it."

"See, the thing is," Mira began, "Gemma dropped it when I was carrying her out of that church. I told her I'd go back for it later because I was focused on getting her outta there like you'd told me to. Then a monster wrapped in chains got in front of me. I had to put Gemma down to fight it. And then Rome came over and a djinni attacked. Anyway, it was only after you banished the djinn that I remembered it at all and sent Rome after it so my scent didn't get on it—"

"Stop! Just give me her nightlight!"

Kerry sounded frustrated, but not angry. Not yet, anyway. Still, I put a little hustle in my step.

"Here."

I held out the index card and the metal bird Mira had crafted to carry it. Kerry's fingers trembled as he took them both. He didn't speak, only closed his eyes and pressed the battered paper to his lips.

"At least you know the sending worked," Mira said. "Once Gemma was out from under the power hiding her, it found her."

"May I see it, Kerry?" Hinge held out his bony hand. "I believe there are bloodstains on it. Blood is an excellent conduit for power."

Kerry's eyes flew open. He moved the paper away from his mouth and stared at the rusty red stains.

"Mira's, maybe," I suggested.

We didn't need him losing it here and now because he saw evidence that Gemma had been injured.

"Nope," Mira said, which ruined my intention. "I wasn't injured when I found her, but she had some blood on her clothing."

Kerry gave the paper to Hinge, who bent over it with his pupils glowing like laser pointers. Time slowed and stalled as we waited, and I imagined the tick-tock of time growing louder and louder. Hinge finally straightened and looked at Kerry, tilting his skull to one side.

"How far are you willing to go?"

"All the way." Kerry didn't hesitate.

"It would require sacrifice." Hinge tapped the paper on his mandible.

"I can slit a throat. You know that."

"I said sacrifice, not just killing someone." Hinge's pupils circled, as if he were rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Could you slit Jax's throat? Or Gigi's?"