Get Help

*Kamila*

“Where are we going?” I ask Diana as she leads me out of the room where Kane had planned for me to stay toward the sound of troops screaming and running outside. I think they must be preparing to change to go fight the ET1s, and I don't want to go in that direction. It seems dangerous to me.

"Let's go to ET1 Kane's office," he tells me.

I stop dead. 'That? Why?—That sounds like an even worse idea than where I thought we were going, toward the sound of troops in combat.

"Well, we need a phone," he explains, "and to get one, we'll have to go to your office." It is the only telephone in the entire castle.

I'm still confused. "But doesn't he know we're there?" I ask him.

She shakes her head. She—she Only she spends time in her room sleeping with all of her maids or in the war room shouting orders to her commanders. Other than that, she is usually on the battlefield. She doesn't spend much time in her office.

"And what about other people?" I ask her, still without walking towards her. —Don't you have a secretary or her ET2 or something? Anyone in or around her office?

She lets out a loud sigh. -No! I'm telling you, the office is the best place for us to go right now. He will never look there. It's probably more dangerous for you to be out of your room because he's more likely to come in and want to bother you than to go to his office. But it looks like your boyfriends are keeping him busy right now, so as long as we hurry, we'll be fine.” He waves me over, and I start walking again, struggling to keep up with my four babies, but still I don't think this is the best idea anyone has ever had.

"Why can't I use the mental link?" I ask him as I walk. I've been trying to contact Tristan, Mark, Reece, or even Eli since I woke up and found out where she was, but it's been no use.

“ET1 Kane has everything blocked,” he says, waving his hand dismissively.

I'm confused. —What do you mean by everything blocked?—I've never heard of something like this before.

—Yes, he is an ET1, right? He can prevent prisoners from communicating with their packmates, family members, even other ET1s. It's a skill that many ET1s have. I bet yours can do it too.

My mouth opens and I look at her stunned. I've never heard of anything like this before. —Well... I still don't know how a telephone is going to work. It's not like she can call the ET1s while they're on the battlefield. And even if I call them, what should I tell them? 'Hello, I'm being held hostage by Kane.' They probably already know this.

She turns the corner quickly without looking first, and I'm nervous to follow, but she doesn't wait for me, so I have to hurry to catch up.

"We can call your parents," he says. "I know you said they treated you badly, but maybe they can tell the ET1s where you are." I heard Kane say something about a couple of your ET1s saving your parents, so maybe they'll be willing to help.

I shake my head. —Clearly, you don't know my parents. They'll be mad at me for kidnapping me in the first place.

Now she stops and turns to look at me. -Leave it to me. I will make them listen to you.

My mouth opens to protest, but we've reached the office now. Diana tries the doorknob and it doesn't budge. It's locked.

“So stop that,” I say. She rolls her eyes. There's a doormat in front of the door, which looks really strange since we're in the hallway. The doormat says, “Clean the shit off your shoes” — there's enough shit going on here already!

"What are you doing?" I ask her, but she doesn't answer. Instead, she simply reaches under the doormat and pulls out a key, which she then uses to unlock the door. "I'm damned," she murmured. —There is someone in the world who is as stupid as King Gene.

She laughs and puts the key away, and then we go inside.

Sitting down at the desk, he picks up the phone and then looks at me. -What is your phone number?

I tell her quickly, and she dials, but I don't think this is going to work.

“Hello?” Diana says into the phone. —Yes, can I speak to the Moon or the ET1 please?— He waits a moment and then says, —I am calling with very important information from King Gene's castle regarding his upcoming payment for the services of his daughter's Nurturer. Yes, I'll wait.

And then I realize what he's going to say, and it makes me so sad.

But I know it will work.

"Hello?" he says a few seconds later. I can imagine my parents running to the phone, almost tripping over each other to get there in time to answer the call. —Yes, I'm Clarisse from King Gene's office. I am calling about payment for Kamila's Breeder services. Who am I talking to?—There is a pause before Diana says, “Well, Luna Karen, I regret to inform you that your daughter has been kidnapped, and since she is no longer in the castle, King Gene has determined that she is no longer in the castle.” He will pay for his services, and since he has not fulfilled his duties, she will be forced to return all the money he has sent her.

Diana immediately pulls the phone away from her ear as my mother starts screaming like a crazy person. I can hear her screaming, not about being kidnapped and in danger, but about having to pay the money back.

“Listen,” Diana finally shouts, “if you want to receive your next payment, you're going to have to find a way to get her out of ET1 Kane's castle and back to King Gene's. Maybe the four ET1s can help you, but I can't. Now, if I were you, I would send someone to find one of the ET1s and let them know that Kamila is being held in ET1 Kane's castle, that he is threatening her life, and that they need to hurry, understand? Otherwise, if they kill her, you will be responsible for all that money.

My mom yells a few more times before Diana says, “You heard me.” You're running out of time. Bye bye-. She hangs up the phone and smiles at me satisfied.

I shake my head. —You don't know my parents. They will hide somewhere so they don't have to pay me back or release me.

“No, they will,” she says confidently. She could hear it in her tone. -Don't worry. Now, let's get you back to bed. She gets up from her chair and walks over to the table, and we're about to leave the room when the door opens and a familiar man is standing there.

“Well, shit,” he muttered.

Diana says: —Well yeah, shit.