Episode Seventeen: Taken: Scene 25

We met Zaid at the gates. While we were relaxing, he’d apparently been buying an awful neon yellow baseball cap. It didn’t suit him.

It probably wouldn’t have suited anyone.

Kanesha made a face. “What’s with the fashion fiasco?”

“You don’t like it?”

“No,” we said in near unison.

He made a pouty face and then took it off and stuck it in a pocket.

“Okay. Do you know where the amateurs are?”

“I did a tracking spell on one of them. Can’t guarantee any of the others will be there, but they’re in one of the apartments by the zoo.”

If I’d stayed here, I thought I’d like to live in one of those apartments. On the zoo side, with the view of the trees and maybe even the occasional animal.

“Alright. So, we’re going to go talk to them?”

He nodded. “And you’re going to be intimidating backup.”

I grinned. “I can manage that.” Kanesha elbowed me. “You’re the intimidating backup with the black belt.”

Zaid laughed. “That works. It’s this building.” The building was brick, and some of the apartments were below street level, but with windows looking out at the creek. That had to be weird. Going upstairs to leave.

We stepped into the lobby. There was a concierge, but she gave us a tired look and didn’t stop us or demand we sign a guest book. “Up or down?” I asked Zaid.

“Down.”

Down to Hell, I thought with some amusement.

“B4,” he added.

B4 was the lowest floor. There were only apartments on the outside. The inner doors, I supposed, led to maintenance and storage areas. “Okay, I thought this was interesting, but I don’t like it down here.”

Kanesha glanced at me. “Is it just the storage stuff or are you…”

I closed my eyes for a moment. “Oh dear. You said they weren’t summoning demons.”

Zaid nodded. “Until now.” He sped up his pace. “Good thing is that probably means we’ll catch them all. Let’s hurry before they succeed and get eaten or something.”

I wasn’t sure I cared about protecting people stupid enough to summon demons, especially after dealing with Tyz’vel. But then I felt a rush of energy and heat. “Too late. We’ve got company.”

Zaid nodded. “Can you deal with it while we get them clear?”

Grimly, I nodded. “I can deal with it.”

I knew what kind of dealing with it he meant.

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