Page 64 of Chained

Retah leads us into a disused store. It smells of decay inside, not just of the building but of other things, things which were once alive.

“Why did you say these stores were abandoned again?” Cleo asks, holding the back of her hand to her nose.

“The jewelers moved to a more secure location,” Retah says without any confidence.

“Doesn’t smell like they left at all,” I grumble.

“This way,” Retah says, leading us through to the rear of the shop.

The odor doesn’t get any worse, nor does it get any better, and it sets me on edge. I pull my sword from my side and shift it from hand to hand.

“Stay behind me,” I say to Cleo.

“With pleasure. I don’t want to encounter the source of the smell before you, believe me,” Cleo says, pulsar in hand as I tuck her into my wings.

Retah reaches a large metal door. “We’re going to need to use a charge to get it open,” he says.

“Won’t it attract the Bogarok?” I suggest.

Behind me, Cleo laughs.

“You are talking to Tatatunga’s foremost arms dealer, even if it also turns out he’s some sort of royalty,” she says. “He has access to charges you can only dream about.”

My heart quickens. “I like explosives,” I say.

“Then you’re going to love these.” Retah pulls a few small mines from his bandolier and places them on the door. “Stand back.”

I don’t particularly want to, because the mere idea of explosives has set my wings on edge with excitement, but as my little mate is here, I tuck her behind me, an action she seems to appreciate.

Retah swipes his hand through the air, and there is a low frequencycrump, after which the thick door swings open.

I can’t exactly hide my disappointment, but Cleo laughs and strolls out from behind me, and using both hands, she pulls the door wide enough for us and walks through.

Retah cocks his head, looking for my reaction.

“I’ve seen better,” I grumble, following my mate. Behind us, I hear Retah snort.

The doorway leads into a vault. It also has the smell I dislike but again, it’s not getting any worse. Cleo has taken out her light source and is inspecting the walls.

“Presumably there’s an entrance into the passage around here?” she asks Retah.

He studies his screen, horns lit up in the glowing light as Cleo moves around the room and he is shrouded in darkness.

“Here!” she calls out.

“Don’t touch it!” Retah responds. “Some of these places contain traps for would be robbers. As we haven’t entered in the conventional manner, these could still be set.”

I’m quickly by Cleo’s side looking at the area she thinks is the entrance. It appears there is a frame set in the wall behind the shelving which runs the length of this area, only there is a faint scent of a corrosive substance. I gently pull her back into me.

“This is not it, little scrap.”

“How do you know?”

I look down at her. With the helmet on, as much as it makes things clearer, I miss the thoughtbond very much.

“I can scent something within the walls, something dangerous.”

“You can smell danger?”

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