Page 26 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

Then I remember—propulsion units are banned in the city, but they’re expensive.

I open the link back up.Want this?

Hell, yah!

I turn it off and push it at him, then take off full-force into the bustling thoroughfares of the city. Down the main vein of the city, there’s a lot of action with people getting ready for Vividaria. That was another reason I didn’t want to come home quickly. Celebrating wasn’t on the list of things I wanted to do with my best friend exiled to the chasm.

The city moves by in a blur—the old school, Seolfor, and the docking dome. I’ve never swum so fast. I don’t stop until I find myself outside of the government dome. I jump into an airlock with a movingsolo. When the water drains and thesolopulls away, the passenger yells at me. But right now, I couldn’t care less about rules and regulations.

I shift and jump up onto the platform. There’s normally a selection of robes next to the door of the building, but the hooks are empty. It’s loud. So loud. I spot a group of Glyden males by the door and push my way through the crowd to get over to them. My brother is there.

“Milo!” I yell, but there’s a mass of muscle between the two of us. “Milo.”

“Castor.” He jumps up and down. “Can you believe it? Of course you can. Hot damn. This is freaking unbelievable. First, he’s the hero of Hestertåtten, and now he’s the return of Poseidon. It’s flipping fantastic,” he yells over other people’s heads.

“Excuse me.” I push around a few males.

“Hey, I’ve been waiting to see.” The male turns around. “Oh, Castor, my apologies.” He turns sideways and lets me through. The same thing happens a few more times until I’m next to Milo.

“Did you hear me?” my little brother says.

“The entire city heard you, Milo.”

“World,” his buddy next to him says.

“Whatever. Unreal. I wasn’t here when he went inside. But everyone who was here is saying the trident is seven feet long and made of nothing but gold.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “Seven feet long.”

“They’re not letting anyone in,” Milo says.

“No one but Holter,” another one of Milo’s buddies says.

“Holter’s inside?”

“Yes, I was here already.” He stops because no one admits to coming here of their own free will. Nothing good goes on in this building. The male’s jaw is clenched. “Anyway, I was here. And Holter came racing in with a Gorsca. Which I didn’t know he—”

I cut him off. “He’s inside? Milo, give me your clothes.”

“My clothes?”

I look at him. He’s not my size at all. His tunic will barely fit over my shoulder.

“Never mind.” I turn to one of his friends, who’s a bit closer to my size. “What’s your name?”

“Trundilo,” Milo’s friend says.

“Nice to meet you, Trundilo. I need to borrow your clothes. Actually, not borrow. Milo will pay you for them.”

“Now?”

“Trund, yes, now. Castor needs them. And you’re taller than me.” Milo puts his hand on his friend’s shoulder. I seem to remember him now. They used to race down the main hall of the apartment in their socks in the middle of the night. Milo, Trund, and Giorgio. They’ve all changed since I noticed them last.

“Ah, sure.” Trundilo strips and hands the garments over.

“Thank you.” I put them on and move to the closed double-wide doors. They’re made of multiple metals: gold, brass, silver. And despite the time of day, when they are normally wide open, they are closed.

The crowd moves out of my way, mostly. There is a Tinom or two who are slow to move. Two guards stand in the middle of the central door.

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