“Are you saying that as long as I’m on birth control we’re okay?”
“You’ve got it.”
“You’re clean? No STDs?”
“Not possible for that to happen to me, Roan should be able to fill you in.” He murmured a goodbye and hung up.
I was on the shot. Had been since the day I left home. I went straight for the health department and told them the truth. I was just shy of eighteen years old, setting out on my own with money I’d saved up since my twelfth birthday, and I needed birth control my strict parents wouldn’t give me.
They’d asked no questions after that, simply counseled me on my options. I chose the shot and went back religiously every three months ever since.
I opened the phone and shot a text off to Alexander.
I’m on the shot. Have fun at work.
Eventually I got tired of waiting for a reply, and ambled off to find Roan. He was nowhere to be found, and Alexander had said I wouldn’t see Doryu until evening. I was on my own.
The village was off limits, and the Dannan home had no television or WiFi access. If we were going to be together, I’d have to bring them into the modern age.
Did the magical Queenstown even get cable service? They got cell service, so why not cable? Satellite would’ve worked. I made a mental note to talk to Alexander about it. I couldn’t live life without eventually having access to reality television.
My room was clean, the staff having cleaned it again, even though I asked them not to. A huge library of books was at my disposal, but I had no desire to read. I decided to spend my day working on my school. Even if I only helped swing a sledgehammer, I wanted to help so that eventually my mom and others would benefit from its offerings. And maybe I could help with the plans for rescuing the babies.
I found the hidden door to the basement portal and worked my way down all the stairs, finding the rainbow fireplace and the room with the portal to the Junta quarters. I walked through and out into the big meeting chamber, which was totally empty. I hadn’t anticipated that.
Looking around, I tried to follow the path they’d taken me on to get to my school, but there had been so many turns and rooms cut through, I was lost in moments. Their headquarters were enormous.
I backed up and tried to find my way back to the meeting room, quickly realizing I was hopelessly lost, and I hadn’t seen another person the entire time I’d been walking around. What the hell was going on?
Sometimes I was a total idiot. I hadn’t even brought a phone, so I couldn’t call Alexander or Roan for help.
Okay, dummy. Find your way outside, and you can walk around the building until you find the school. People are supposed to be there working.
I wandered about until I finally found stairs. It wasn’t outside, but it was something. Unfortunately they led down. The last thing I wanted was to run into the people torturing Dumadi for information.
That was where Alexander said he’d be today.
“Ugh,” I muttered before starting down the stairs.
The next floor was much like the first. Rooms upon rooms and hallway after hallway. The rooms all looked like offices, but there were a few libraries, a few rooms that seem to hold antiquities, and even a room full of weapons.
I saw evidence of cameras, and shouted at them every time I saw one.
What I did not see was another living soul or a way outside. I did eventually find another set of stairs leading down, and realized all the rooms I’d been in had no windows. I didn’t know if I was on the thirteenth floor or if I was about to descend into the dungeon. Lovely.
It was the level with all the cells, because I opened the door into a stark white hallway with no discernible doorway. “I never wanted to be here again. I should’ve stayed at the castle and read a book.”
I turned to go back and the door I’d come through was gone. I was stuck in a hallway with no doors. “Oh nooo...Hello?” I called. “Anybody here?” Of course there was no answer. I started walking down one side of the hall, banging on the wall every few feet and yelling. “Hello?” I yelled, drawing out the vowels.
I finally struck paydirt, and a door opened. Alexander walked out. “Jen? What are you doing here?”
Throwing myself into his arms, I nearly let myself go into freak out mode before remembering I was a badass chick that didn’t need rescuing. I backed away and wiped my eyes, composing myself. “It’s a long story.” I caught a glimpse of the room behind him and quickly whirled around. There was a man tied to a chair, and I saw a lot of blood. I didn’t want to see that.
Willing as I was to be a badass and avoid the need for rescue, I also didn’t want to expose myself to the ugliness of torture. He looked behind him and slapped a spot on the wall, closing the door behind him.
“Alexander, there’s nobody here.”
“What do you mean?”
