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"Val," Leo spoke into his palm, his hand was raised to his ear. "I've been tryna get ahold of you, please call me back so I know you're not dead. This is Leo, by the way. Okay, bye."
"Still no answer?" Carolina asked as she stepped into the kitchen of the strip club, handing him a cup of green tea.
They'd been staying there since he, Valeria and Gabriel got separated. Carolina had tried getting ahold of Colonel Stone to grant him access to the Grove, but he wasn't reachable.
Suddenly, a large horn echoed throughout intercom. It rang four times and with each ring, Leo watched as Carolina's face grew wary. "What's that mean?"
She was already dialing the Colonel's number again, lifting her hand to her ear, "We've got a problem."
Leo sipped his tea as she talked.
"The horn blew four times — of course I haven't told anyone, are you kidding me?" She projected, leaning her body up against the counter. "Is she throwing up?"
Leo watched her expressions intently, analyzing every every flinch as the colors surrounding her upper body shifted from a solid orange to dark nudes.
"Alright, we'll meet you there as soon as we can," she said. "See you then."
"So," Leo drew out. "What's going on?"
Carolina inhaled, "Words got out about the diadem."
"You've gotta be fucking kiddin' me."
She shook her head, "We gotta go, now."
Leo slid off the table and hurried after her as she walked down the hallway. "Where are we going?"
Her braids scratched his neck when he bumped into her, she stopped in her tracks. The stood in between the corridor and the lounge, watching people in three-piece-suits and the sea witches throwing chairs and tables at one another. The two of them ducked as shot glasses flinged towards them.
"The Violent Violins," they both aloud.
"Run," Carolina said as a member of the Violent Violin clan made eye contact with them. She pushed him back through the doors and reached for her watch to call Colonel Stone. Just as she was about to press the CALL button she felt a sting on her wrist. "Fuck!"
Leo turned around, seeing a clan member with a shimmering, golden blood dripping from their knife. He quickly scrolled through his inventory. "Come on," he repeated, seeing from the corner of his eyes that when Carolina had flicked her hands, a bright light illuminated from her palms their body had mimicked her movement.
"Leo, I don't have all day!" She was still wincing at the pain as she levitated the member, hanging them from the ceiling of the corridor. "Leo!"
"I got it," he took out his force field he bought for a once in a lifetime occasion. "Okay."
