Page 45 of Into the Abyss
“Get over here, Amalia, now,” Olgoncommanded.
“She isnotyours to order around,” Isnarled.
“She is my niece, and I am the eldest jinn.She will do as I say, or I’ll kill her with you!” Olgon spat.
The jinn gasped, and Amalia’s mother paled.“Olgon!” she cried.
“Silence, Vya!” Olgon spat.
Vya didn’t speak again, but her Chosendidn’t look at all pleased as he shot his brother a fiercelook.
“Amalia has put us all in jeopardy bybringing one of the king’s men into the Abyss,” Olgon said in acalmer tone. “The palitons would like nothing more than to see usall dead or locked away again. That’s not going to happen.”
“If you don’t stand against the king, thenno one will bother you,” I told him.
“Lies,” one of the other jinn hissed.
“Not lies,” I retorted. “Things are vastlydifferent now. Kobal’s queen is guarded by the drakón who were oncelocked behind a seal too. If you don’t stand against Kobal, he willnot come for you.”
“And he’s going to allow us to roam free,doing what we do best by delivering dreams to the downtrodden inthe Abyss?” Olgon murmured, and a handful of jinn chuckled whilesome of the others stared curiously at us.
“There is no reason for you to continuetrapping people and demons here.”
“There is the reason that matters most. Weenjoyit.”
“Then yes, Kobal will come for you becauseyour paths will inevitably cross, and he won’t tolerate unnecessarycruelty. Neither will I. You have demons and humans here who mustbe set free.”
“Oh, must they?” Olgon inquired.
“Yes.”
“We never let those we rightfully claim go,”Olgon stated.
“Making an exception now would go a long waywith Kobal,” I said.
Olgon laughed as he folded his hands insidethe sleeves of his black robe. “You think I care what the newestvarcolac thinks of us. We were locked behind that seal for eighteenthousandyears. There is nothing worse than that. We willhave our revenge against those who kept us there, whether they werealive when we were sealed away or not. Your king could have set usfree; he chose not to. Now, we have chosen to keep those we’vecaught, and we will align with those who aim to destroy him.”
“That poor choice will get you killed.”
Olgon’s mouth curved into a smile, butbehind his eyes, rage slithered like smoke twisting in the wind.Eighteen thousand years had honed this man’s thirst for vengeanceinto a sword that would slice through any who stood in his way,including his niece.
“Amalia, this is your last chance to comeaway from him, before we kill him,” Olgon stated.
“No!” she cried. “Unshi, please! What if welet these palitons go, and then we can find somewhere else to live?What if we leave it all behind? We can forget the king and theangels and find a life somewhere else! Magnus means no harm; he’sonly trying to free his friends, and there have been enough deathstoday!”
Olgon’s eyes fell briefly on her before helifted his chin and stared at the rocks over her head. “Kill him,and if she gets in the way, kill her too.”
“No!” Vya cried, and some of the other jinnhesitated at this command.
“Olgon—” her father started.
“I have given my command, Eron.”
“She is mydaughter!” Eronshouted.
“She is a traitor.”
“Her Fault—”
