Book Four: Chapter 33

“The geas, I’m guessing?”

Naia nodded. “The whole world can’t be blocked off, but the back of the house has been sealed. It’s why the Society didn’t come over the gate out back during their last assault. They could only come in the front.”

“Then why the hell do we have a gate?” Dana pointed at it.

“I... uh...” Naia’s eyes immediately went blank. “I have no idea.”

“Well, do you have a long stick or something? Wait, never mind.” Dana walked into the garage. “Tick Tock, I need you!”

The mimic, disguised as a recliner, came bouncing across the garage only to stop at her feet, its footrest lolling about like the tongue of a dog.

“My drone crashed on the other side of the gate. Do you have an arm long enough to reach it?”

Tick Tock’s leg rest opened and closed like a mouth, so Dana closed her eyes. When she opened them, the recliner had become a mannequin with an arm that went nearly to the ground. At the end of its wrist was a large claw that loo