Chapter 23

23

LECTURE NOTES FROM ANIMAL HUSBANDRY:

Knots —

Horses require slip knots. If they startle, all it will take is a quick pull and they're free. They’re far too large to panic safely. Canines require the opposite. The stronger the breed, the stronger the knot.

T hessa turned to Leora, smiling wider than she had in months. “We did it.”

They marched from the residential quarters and toward the dungeons, not paying any mind to the guards they passed along the way. Walking with purpose was what kept them from being stopped. Soldiers were always confident—despite being pawns—that she knew. Moving past each guard with the keys inside her pocket kept her heart thumping and feet moving.

When they reached the wide, marble staircase, Thessa made eye contact with Leora. There were no guards at the bottom, just a hall leading to a single iron door.

They stepped down.

Thessa reached for the keys and sifted through them. The lock was circular with four indents, so it wasn’t difficult to match. She pushed it in, and the satisfying click had her smirking. They slipped inside, shut the door, and wound down the dark stairwell.

When the smell of rock and moisture hit her, it sent a familiar prickle down her arms. Landing at the bottom she overlooked the dungeons, lit by a single flame, watched over by a single guard.

Her smile faltered.

The guard was larger than most. He stood to attention. “Orders?”

Thessa and Leora stopped, tapping their shoulders in salute. Thessa recited their names. “Guard K. Phillips and Guard S. Blooning, reporting for duty.”

“Your orders,” the guard repeated, viciously.

She pursed her lips, thinking. Thessa hadn’t thought this far, her lies were running thin. “Relieve you of duty, you’ve been called upstairs,” she said blindly.

The guard scoffed. “On whose order?”

When Thessa hesitated, Leora answered, “General Valstrom’s. You’ve been called to review records on the Greenier family, on her behalf.”

The guard relaxed his stance and stood. “I see.” As he walked past them, he said, “Thank you for the message.” There was nothing about his tone that made Thessa feel like he’d believed them.

And he hadn’t. The soldier whirled around with a cold expression on his face. “The general doesn’t call on fifth-years for record review. ”

Thessa had known that, Leora … had not. She swore under her breath as Elemental magic, the same color as the guard’s ice-blue eyes, pulsed to his fingertips.

He’d trapped them down here; his massive body blocked the only exit.

Leora stepped in front of Thessa and said, “This is my fault . Take me, I’m the imposter.” She dropped both hands, spreading her fingers wide. Thessa watched Leora’s opalescent magic flourish, giving away their lie.

“Leora!” Thessa gasped, part in shock by her actions, part not surprised, and part impressed.

Leora looked over her shoulder. “Other than praying, I had time to practice last night. I’m so sorry, Tess. The goddess will help us. I promise.”

“She better.”

The guard laughed, as if enjoying his preys’ panic. “What will you soldiers do now? Especially with that pitiful magic.”

Elementals held little respect for any magic other than their own, of course.

If she was going back in that cell, she’d do it on her terms. Thessa drew in a breath before stepping beside Leora. “There’s a wall behind us, you know. Must you play with your meals first?”

The guard snarled, Thessa’s words awakening an animal within him.

What he hadn't known was that there was an animal inside her too, desperate for escape. “Move.” Thessa shoved Leora behind her, taking the witch off her feet. “Let’s have it then, me first.”

The look on his face turned wicked as he drew both arms towards her. Thessa stood tall as he sent flames spiraling around each of her wrists.

The guard sneered, “Too easy,” then looked to Leora, sending fire-cuffs around her wrists too. “You should’ve thrown some stardust out for good luck,” he chided.

Leora whimpered in pain.

“No!” Thessa called out, trying to shield Leora from him. Searing pain coursed through her arms; pain so awful she collapsed. She panted through her teeth, refusing to scream.

“Now that I have you both cuffed up,” he drawled, “what fun shall I have? I’ve been wanting to practice some new methods of interrogation.”

His magic continued to glow; his personal supply of cruelty illuminating the dimly lit hall. He stepped closer and laughed again. “Looks like I get to do whatever I want.”

Thessa glared. “Hades wouldn’t have you, you know. That’s likely why you’ve been assigned to dungeon duty. I can’t imagine anyone wants to be around you .”

He crouched down before her, flashing his teeth.

Thessa jerked back in response, pain coursing through her again.

His flaming fingers wrapped around her neck and squeezed. “Shut up, witch,” was all he said.

Thessa was trapped between her last breath and scorching heat. She closed her eyes remembering what she’d practiced, even blocking out Leora’s cries.

When she opened them, her fingertips were as black as soot. One pulse of her magic and the fire-cuffs around her wrists vanished. She eyed Leora in wonderment, but her cuffs were still intact.

The guard stopped sneering and released his grip. “What in the?—”

Thessa spat, “As I was saying, even Hades would find you rather unpleasant.”

He stood, taking his hands into the shape of a ball and conjuring a sphere of flame so hot that Thessa began to sweat. “Looks like today is my lucky day. I get my very own demon to play with.”

The flaming ball hovered atop his hand, looking strong enough to sear a hole through her abdomen. Thessa rested a few feet away from death, and she had no idea how to use her magic.

“Tell me who sent you?” he asked.

She wouldn’t tell this flaming puppet anything. An inhale for strength sent her magic free, but the silky, black ribbons only twirled around her.

Help.

As if listening, her magic hovered before her, like a shield. A speck of fear shone in her predator’s eyes, but it was gone in a blink. “Last chance.”

Thessa pursed her lips.

His face shifted into disgust as he hurled the flaming sphere towards her.

Leora screamed.

Thessa curled, bracing for impact, but the fireball was consumed by her magic. Sizzling smoke remained in its wake.

The guard’s eyes widened as he roared, “Demon filth.” He conjured another fireball, this time as big as his oversized head.

Thessa snapped, “You’ll kill us both with that thing.”

He grinned. “I should’ve known you’re untrained. This is fun.” The guard drew both arms up, the flames swirling with fury between his palms. “If you won’t speak, consider your deaths my honor, it’s always been my honor to loyally serve Ander?—”

His words were cut off by thick tendrils of black magic entwining his neck. He began choking for air. Without control of his breath, he couldn’t control his magic. The strength of the fireball in his trembling arms weakened, but he fought to steady it.

Thessa wasn’t sure how her magic got there, especially when it was weaving through her lower legs like a stray feline.

The guard’s eyes bulged as he fought to breathe, his fireball was fading as much as Leora’s fire-cuffs were … until it all fizzled out. Fear washed over the guard’s features as the dark magic morphed from murky to shimmery smooth, and hissing. He reached for his neck, clawing apart the serpent strangling him.

The slimy thing did not budge, and the guard had no air left.

Leora squeezed Thessa’s arm as they watched him go down. He fell to his knees before toppling forward. The thud of skull on stone made them both shriek, and her magic retreat. When the serpent dissolved into nothing, Thessa squinted, unsure of what had just happened.

On cue, Leora stuttered, “W-what just happened? Did you do that?”

“She did not,” a low voice grumbled, popping Thessa’s eyes wide open.

Another voice, lighter, called out, “What exactly are you two doing back here?”

“Emiel!” Leora was on her feet, running toward his voice. Thessa watched her rise to her toes, reaching through a barred window. “I know, it was foolish, but I had?—”

She’d stopped talking because Emiel had kissed her. Thessa never thought a smile would bloom on her face in a dungeon, but there it was.

She fumbled for the keys in her unfamiliar pockets and paced through the corridor. “I should’ve known it was you.”

He grumbled, “Leave before they change shifts.”

Following the sound, she spoke through the door. “Easier said than done, your friend is currently latched onto mine.” Shoving key after key into the lock mechanism, which proved to be more complicated than the first one, she finally got it.

The door creaked open.

“They’ve tied you,” she said.

Soren’s hands and neck were bound, leashing him to a hook. He was curled on his side, lying half-naked on the floor.

His body looked like it was carved from the stone he’d surrendered to. A mass of muscle rested along each rib line, while his arms and abdomen held strips she’d not known could exist.

Despite being riddled with bruises, she made out a black serpent tattooed along each arm. They traveled to his chest, where the two heads met. Even in the dim light they shined blue, just like the ones from the festival.

Kneeling beside him, Thessa unsheathed her blade and sliced through the ropes between his wrists.

He cleared his throat. “Why is it you keep appearing and insisting on helping?” His tone was spiteful.

She ignored him and kept sawing until it severed.

Next, with a single swoop, she sliced through the rope tethering him to the wall.

“Don’t move,” she said, moving the edge of her blade against his neck. They’d wrapped the rope three times before knotting it.

The first layer sawed off easily, and the second unraveled well enough, but the third gave her trouble. It was adhered to his smoldered flesh.

When her blade got too close, he let out a low growl.

“Hold still,” she said, “it’s really stuck,” and started nicking the threads with the tip of her blade instead. She got too greedy and her hand slipped, cutting him .

As black-flecked blood dripped, Thessa recoiled. “You’re a demon.”

He huffed, pressing up to sit. “Don’t call me that.”

“It’s what you are, is it not?”

He ignored her, wiping his neck clean.

Her eyes betrayed her, moving to his waist. She didn’t know what that V-shaped area was called, but it was very distracting. It tapered down like the tip of her blade.

“Tess!”

She blinked, breaking her stare.

Leora shouted again, “Come get Emiel! Let’s get out of here.”

Thessa sheathed her blade and stood. “I thought you were dead, by the way. And to answer your original question … I owed you this time, but I’ll have you know, serpent-wielder , you were not part of the plan. Grab your cloak and put your hood on, we’re leaving.”

There wasn’t time for a rebuttal, she jiggled the key free and took off.

Once Emiel was out and cloaked, Thessa and Leora refitted their uniforms and hoods. The flame-retardant material had kept them intact and concealed their burns well enough.

A loud thump snatched her attention. “That should hold them off a little longer,” Emiel noted after locking the guard in his cell and patting the door for good measure.

The other prisoners wanted nothing to do with them.

Thessa and Leora escorted Emiel and Soren out of the dungeons, up the wide marble staircase, and toward the long, infinite hallway leading towards city services.

This role Leora enjoyed a bit too much, it seemed. She ordered Emiel to stay silent while whispering something in his ear that made him blush brighter than his cloak .

Thessa was almost half the size of Soren, but pretended not to be. She held her head high and marched, pressing him onward. Touching him reminded her of how he looked curled on the floor, first in the Trial Room, and then in the dungeon.

Had he truly wanted to die?

They’d lost time, but if her calculations were correct, they’d be traveling toward Mabelton in less than five minutes.There was only one more barrier—passing the same guards at the Restricted Access border.

When the infinite hallway came to an end, Thessa’s group slowed their steps. Twenty paces away from the guards, another set of four approached. The groups of guards stood to attention, greeting each other. It was a quick exchange before the original four split off, marching right toward her.

Thessa’s heart pounded.

She whispered, “Heads down,” then extended her voice, “Keep moving and keep quiet!” There was still a role to be played.She knew they couldn’t stop now, not without suspicion. Nudging Leora, she encouraged her to keep up her ruse too.

A few feet away from the guards, Thessa’s hope shriveled. She peeled her mouth open to spill some lies, but the guards parted, letting them pass.

Soren muttered, “Shift change,” under his breath.

The new group of guards were still flattening their lapels when Thessa and Leora saluted. They were paid little mind as the guards were still adjusting to their shift. There was a collective sigh from Thessa’s group after they rounded the final corner. A few more strides and they pushed the males through the main doors.

As the clock tower rang, a jolt of energy shot through her.

Noon.

The driver in the first carriage called out departure to Greenshire, and the one in back shouted the last call for Mabelton. Thessa moved with determination, swinging open the door to the rear carriage. They all trampled inside.And they weren’t alone. A lone female sat in the far corner.

“Tickets, tickets.” The driver popped his head into the wood-paneled cabin.

Thessa eyed Leora, who then handed the driver their tickets.

“Two tickets and four passengers, two of you are out,” the driver grunted, throwing his thumb back.

Leora pulled out the booklet of payment slips she’d received from Gravenport’s Funding Corporation and infused every word with Elemental ego as she said, “Get us to Mabelton without a word about missing tickets, or my companions, and you’ll be compensated well enough to leave this dreary city forever.”

The driver examined Leora’s booklet, mentioned something about having a quill, then spun around and slammed the door shut.