Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

46. Brave Little Cuss

Kerry

When I told him that we were about to leave and why, Hank decided to take Lilas back to her mom, even though it meant he and Gina would be stuck at the Sanctuary until the lockdown lifted.

As the kids said goodbye to each other, I told Hank and Gina about Jax and Gigi going over to St. Pat's and asked if they wanted me to call them back. Gina was Gigi's warden, after all.

"The only way into the Sanctuary now is through a portal." Gina gave me a small smile. "I'll need to take Hank and Lilas to St. Pat's anyway, so I can connect with her there before we leave."

Then she 'ported out with Hank.

Hinge was heartbroken.

He begged and pleaded and even offered to wear clothes and a hat to hide what he was. Rome knelt down next to him and explained that the wardens at the Sanctuary would put him out of his misery sooner than shelter him.

I got what Hinge was feeling. How often did he get to hang out with kids his own age? Especially a pretty girl?

Gina popped back into the room and laid her hand on Lilas' shoulder.

"I'll see you again soon, Bertie," Lilas smiled and squeezed his skeletal fingers. "I'm sure of it."

"Farewell," he murmured and bent his skull over their joined hands.

Then they were gone.

Hinge curled up in a corner and the purple lights of his eyes dimmed down to almost nothing. I figured he was either pouting or asleep. I wondered if I should talk to him, but my instincts warned me to leave him alone.

I wouldn't want someone fussing over me. And what comfort could I give him? I wanna smash the world right now.

Since it looked like I was stuck with him for a while longer, I figured I'd better make a plan. Get some clothes and a hat like he'd suggested, or a hoodie. A little skeleton bouncing along with us wasn't something humans would overlook or ignore.

I turned to ask Mira if she could do the shopping - and nearly collided with Gina and Lilas.

#

Mira

Gina and Lilas suddenly re-appeared in the middle of the living room. Gina, bent double, held one arm against her stomach and pushed Lilas away with the other.

"What the—"

She disappeared before Kerry could finish.

Lilas' eyes were huge in her pale face and her whole body trembled. I scooped her into my arms and held her tight.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She clung to me, though, and her small fingers knotted into the back of my shirt.

"Lilas!"

Hinge, the little pest, started to climb me to reach her. If you've never had a skeleton skitter up your body like a spider, you can't understand how creepy it is, even if you know the skeleton in question. I knelt and laid her on the floor just to get him off of me.

"What happened?" He stroked her hair back from her forehead.

"We bounced off St. Pat's," she whispered. "Gina said someone must have warded it for some reason. Then this ... this thing came at us. Gina grabbed me and brought us back here."

"Did she tell you what her plan was?" I asked, wondering if anyone else had noticed Gina was injured. "Do you know where she went just now?"

Lilas shook her head.