without any clues from the team? What bullshit is that?"
"Do those in power know about Omarion?" I asked.
"No," they replied in unison. Tristana began to pace around, crossing her arms under her breasts. "When I was hired, the Secret Ops finally got permission to start looking into the kidnappings. Far too many powerful supernaturals have gone missing. It seems that it began with homeless shifters and extremely rare supernaturals. You'd think being rare would mean people would have eyes on you, but because of their rarity, the majority of them were in hiding to avoid being detected. Then in the last couple of years, things began to escalate."
"Escalate?" I pressed, hoping for more on this matter.
"Police started arresting supernaturals for the stupidest things, and the injustice of it all only began to grow worse because the judges and juries would hand out long sentences and penalties in cases that seemed innocent. Those who were charged with murder and rape were getting off with probations and warnings, while those who were caught stealing food or sleeping where they shouldn't were given five-year, ten-year, even life sentences. It's barbaric." She shook her head and looked over to us as she paused in her pacing.
"When you were kidnapped, I did a full-on investigation and gathered all this information in three days. These issues have been happening for years and everyone has been ignoring it. The Secret Ops can't jump on any case they want. They have to be ordered to. If not, they have no choice but to ignore it."
"That's foolishness," I complained with anger.
"Exactly." Dominick nodded in agreement. "Then there's the underground bidding."
"Underground bidding?"
"We found out about the place from Everett. It's the reason you're not in the lower levels," Adonis noted.
Otis grimace deepened as he crossed his arms.
"Stupidity, I tell you. There are massive TVs throughout the room, displaying some of the top prisons with the most lethal, powerful, and rare supernaturals in the world. Psychic Prison for Supernaturals is second on the list."
"Which prison is first?"
"Dubai’s," the four of them replied.
"That place keeps coming up around here," I pointed out.
Otis bobbed his head. "It's nothing like this prison. Far too luxurious. I can see why, but it's still ridiculous."
Adonis shook his head. "Anyway, the underground bidding displays any new prisoners or anyone that suddenly shows potential. The reports supposedly come from guards, but many times they're from prisoners who are sent in as spies to survey the prison and see who’s a threat and who’s beneficial. Some are even hired by superior individuals on the outside to monitor or kill a supernatural that may threaten their alibi."
Like the gorilla woman.
"That means when I was officially entered in the system, my image popped up?"
"Exactly." Dominick nodded. "And we were lucky to snag you before someone tried to outbid Everett."
"Outbid meaning you guys had to pay actual money to secure me?" It was like I'd become a slave and was being bought. That didn't settle well in my stomach at all.
It actually made me want to vomit.
Dominick walked over to stand behind me, his arms hooking around me as he gave me a comforting hug. "Don't tense up, princess. I know the idea is sickening, but this is honestly one of the many things supernaturals do. To us, it's a disgusting, unacceptable practice, but to other supernaturals, it’s a game. For those who've lived for a one or two centuries, it's entertainment."
If it wasn't for his wonderful scent that wrapped around me, I was sure I would have gone on a tangent.
"So you guys all had to bid?" I mumbled.
"No. We had to put our money together and let Everett bid."
"If they know I'm down here, why isn't anyone saying anything?" I questioned. "There's obvious proof that I was thrown in here against my will and not because I'm a criminal."
"In order to bid, you have to go through their security." Tristana ran her hand through her long locks, appearing a little annoyed. "One of the processes involves you taking a secret oath via magic spell. You can talk about the place itself in conversation like we are now, but if you try to rat them out to the authorities or have hidden intentions to reveal the place, you won't be able to."
"Even if you're undercover?"
"Yup. The magic has a way of sensing who is genuinely curious and who wants to use the information to shut them down. I don't know how they do it, but it's solid and has worked for