Read The Box Omnibus #1 (The Box, The Journal, The Sword) for Free Online Page B

alone hold them.
    “Going to tell us who this client of yours is, or leave us in suspense?” As Cindy speaks, she walks around to casually examine an old stall. Trench coat guy doesn’t seem to pay any attention to her, though the chimera follows her every movement. “I’m all for anticipation, but I’m starting to think you’re leading us on. Is there anyone else, or are you some sort of perv getting his kicks from kidnapping teen girls?”
    “Sit against the post,” he says. “Both of you. Back to back.”
    “Nah, I’d rather stand.” She makes a show of stretching out her arms and cracking her neck. “Long trip, you know? Still working out some of the kinks in my legs.”
    She gives me another look and indicates the door again as if to say, ‘What the hell are you doing? Move your ass!’
    That can’t be right. No way she expects me to leave without her. But from her expression it’s clear it’s exactly what she wants. I have to trust she has a plan. Even she wouldn’t be so calm if she didn’t have a plan, and one she’s sure will work.
    I start to edge toward the door, my eyes constantly flicking back and forth between the chimera and trench coat guy to make sure they don’t notice anything.
    “Nice jacket, by the way,” Cindy says when she’s satisfied I’m leaving. “I’ve been looking everywhere for one. Where’d you get it?”
    She’s positioned herself so they can’t watch both of us at the same time. Since she’s the one talking and moving around so much, the chimera is keeping an eye on her. Our captor still has his back to both of us as he wraps the rope around his hand and elbow to make a loose circle, untangling knots as he goes.
    “Most leather out there is too shiny. The worn look is the only way to go.”
    “Wait!” Al warns in a harsh whisper. Even though he’s quiet, I stop and nervously look around to make sure no one else heard, my hand frozen as I reach for the latch.
    Without looking back, our captor says, “You can’t get out the door.”
    “Well, you can try, but you might not like what it does to you. And like I said, the guy who hired me would rather I deliver you alive.”
    “What the hell are you talking about?” Cindy asks.
    “Your sister is about to put her hand on some powerful magic that will burn her to a crisp in about thirty seconds,” he says as he finally turns around to face her. “And I got the coat off the last guy who tried to outrun Farah. You’ve no idea how much magic it took to get the blood out. Now sit against the pole.”
    Cindy makes a sound as if she’s getting ready to spit and then sighs. “Fine. Let’s do this your way.”
    She reaches into her pocket, and pulls her hand out again. It’s clenched around something, but I have no idea what. She raises her hand to her mouth where it looks like she kisses the space between her thumb and forefinger, all while trench coat guy watches with no readable expression.
    For almost half a second I don’t think anything is going to happen. I have no idea how she thinks kissing her own hand will change anything. Then it does.
    The air shifts and grows heavy, pressing against me until my head pounds. Everything looks different too. Wispier. Scarier. Cindy’s the worst. I can’t look at her without being overwhelmed with a need to scream. She seems to fill the room as she towers over our captor, never mind he’s nearly a foot taller than she is.
    When she speaks, her voice blasts both in my ears and mind. “Who are you working for, and what do they want from us?”
    He says nothing.
    “Tell me!” Her voice booms and forces me to cover my ears with my arms while I clutch the back of my head to keep it from exploding from the pressure. “Who are you working for?”
    “A child’s trick,” he says.
    I don’t see his hand move, since I’ve got my eyes squeezed shut, but I hear the impact as he slaps her across the face. Instantly, the pressure is gone and my head stops pounding.
    When