She waited behind the wall. It was late. These people had to go to sleep soon, and once they did, she could sneak through this place. Still, she had no idea where she'd find Rella. This was worse than any mission she'd ever done for Nalin. Already, she'd killed two Fire Guards. Did they have families? Had they been good men?
She felt a sudden rush of tears, but she held it back. It wasn't the time. She could dwell on what she'd done later. Focus. She needed to focus.
"Are you all right?" Davin whispered in her ear.
She held up a hand to silence him.
It felt like an eternity before the voices died down. Footsteps faded into the distance. Faina had no idea if the rest of the chamber on the other side of the wall was empty, but she had to risk it. After a deep breath, she stepped around the corner.
The room wasn't empty.
Chapter 7: A Difficult Choice
Karik sat in a cushioned chamber in the former prison's main chamber. Firelords Narine and Meran had been sharing the room with him, but they'd departed, leaving him to his thoughts. He hadn't discussed Rella's fate with them. There was no telling how they might react.
For hours, Karik had debated with himself over what he should do. He was terrified at the thought of disobeying Atarin, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed right. Though he hadn't realized it before, he cared about Rella.
How could he love the woman who'd betrayed him?
Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice when the man and woman stepped into view. He looked up at them, too stunned to react. They stared at him with wide eyes. The woman held a dagger. The man was the other prisoner the Fire Guards had captured. Davin.
Karik had no weapons, but he was a powerful Fireweaver. He could defeat them if it came to that, but it didn't have to.. In fact, Karik had the perfect opportunity. It would solve all his problems. He struggled to hold back a smile.
"Now, isn't this interesting?" he said, draping an arm casually over the arm of the chair. It was amazing how easily his act came back to him.
"What should we do?" Davin asked the woman.
"We'll have to kill him," she said.
Karik bolted to his feet. "Let's not make any hasty decisions we might regret later."
"I'm sorry," said the woman. She charged toward him, preparing to drag the knife across his throat, but he wove Yellow and Blue in time, and her attack hit the invisible wall of his shield. Her eyes flared with panic, and she scooted back along the stone floor.
"I'm too powerful for you," Karik said. "You can't fight me."
The woman rose to her feet. "Why haven't you shouted a warning yet?"
"Because I don't want to. For the moment, I think we have the same goal." He examined the woman's face. "You were imprisoned in Atarin's palace, weren't you?"
"Why would that matter to you?"
Karik extended his shield around all three of them so that it would block the sound of their conversation. "Because it means you must be a friend of Rella's. So am I." He took a deep breath. Was he actually going to do this? "Atarin is planning on killing her. I don't want to see her die. But I can't let Atarin know that I freed her. You give me the perfect opportunity."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "I don't trust you."
Karik chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't trust you either. You just tried to kill me."
"We should hear what he has to say," Davin said. "He's shown that he's powerful enough to kill us, and he hasn't done it. Maybe he truly is on our side."
"No," the woman said. "He has some other motive."
Karik gave her an impatient look. "Are we going to debate this all day? In case you haven't noticed, you are vastly outnumbered here. It's only a matter of time until you're discovered, and when you are, I doubt Atarin will go easy on you."
"All right," the woman said. "You have a point there."
Davin stepped toward Karik. "Do we have a plan?"
Karik reached into a pocket of his fur robes, producing a large key. "This will open Rella's cell." He pointed to their left, toward the middle of three doors. "She's imprisoned in that corridor. Once you get her out, you'll have to come back this way. I guess you came in through the trapdoor from the roof. That's your best chance of getting back out."
'What about Andra?" the woman asked. "Is she here as well?"
"She is, but I don't know which key opens her cell. You'll have to find it on your own." Karik handed her the key. "The other keys should be near the entrance to the cell block."
She stared at him with narrowed eyes as she took it. "I still don't know why you're helping us, but I guess I'll take any help I can get."
"Please, get her out of here," Karik said.
She nodded. "I'll do my best."
* * * * *
Rella was trying to fall asleep, but the ground was too cold, and her mind was spinning. She hated the thought that she was going to die and couldn't do anything about it. She'd tried talking to Andra, but nothing could make her feel better.
"Can't sleep either?" Andra asked, leaning against the bars of her cell.
"How can I sleep? Who knows when Atarin is going to kill me? I feel like every second has to matter. But all I can do is sit here in this damn cell."
"Maybe he isn’t going to kill you," Andra said.
"I wish I could believe that."
"Well, I think he's hesitant to do it. He isn't the kind of man who usually waits to carry out his actions. I think that means he doesn't want to kill you." Andra shook her head. "Maybe he does feel some attachment to you because you're family."
Rella barked a laugh. "Oh, I doubt that. I betrayed him. He tortured me. I don't think he'd hesitate to kill me."
"Then why is he taking so long?"
"I don't know," Rella said. She was about to say something more, but then she heard the groan of a stone door opening at the end of the corridor. Her stomach clenched. This had to be her executioner. She wrapped her arms around her legs as tears streamed down her face.
She wasn't ready to die.
"Rella."
She recognized that voice, but she couldn't believe it. Once she wiped away her tears, she felt as if something were swelling inside her chest. Hope.
Faina and Davin stood in the stone corridor, and Faina held a key.
"I can't believe it," Rella said breathlessly. "Are you really here to rescue me?"
Faina put the key in the lock and turned it. The lock clicked, and the door swung open. Rella got to her feet on trembling legs, then rushed forward to hug Faina. Though Rella had never felt close to the other young woman, she was ecstatic to see her now.
Rella turned toward Andra's cell. "Let's get her out, too."
Davin frowned. "We'll have to find the key first."
"How'd you find my key, then?"
"Karik gave it to us," Davin said.
"Why would he do that?" Rella asked.
Faina glanced toward the end of the corridor. "I don't know. He said that he cares about you, but I'm not sure I believe him."
But Rella could believe that. She and Karik had experienced their share of problems, but the fact was he'd kept talking to her. He'd tried again and again to convince her to abandon her beliefs and embrace his. Perhaps it wasn't only self-interest on his part.
"We have to find that other key," Rella said. "We have to get Andra out of here."
Faina shifted her gaze from side to side. "I hope we have time."
She took the lead, directing them toward the exit of the corridor. At the end of the corridor, there was a slightly larger room, and in this room, behind a stone desk, was a rack of keys. Too many keys. At least thirty of them.
How could they find the right key in time?
Between the three of them, they grabbed all the keys and carried them back to Andra's cell. Then they began the slow and terrifying process of testing every key. Again and again, the door didn't budge. They went through ten keys. Fifteen. Twenty.
Panic had tightened its g
rip upon Rella's chest. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. Voices came from the room beyond the corridor, growing closer.
"We need to hurry," Rella said in a soft voice.
The large stone door swung open with a low groan. For now, Rella and the others were just out of view, but all these other people had to do was round a corner and they'd see the intruders.
"You have to get out of here," Andra said. "Leave me here."
Rella struggled against tears. "You know I can't do that."
"I can't do it either," Faina said. "Kae would kill me."
"Kae will understand," Andra said. "She's a practical woman. They're not going to kill me. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it by now." She glanced toward the approaching steps and voices. "Please, run. You can't die when you're this close."
Davin's expression was pained. "She's right. We have to leave her."
Rella hated it, but she knew Davin was right. All three of them took off running moments before three Fire Guards rounded the corner. Now that Rella was out of her cell, she could draw on the light she'd stored up. She wove Yellow and Blue, creating a shield, and felt Faina doing the same thing.
Davin wove red and orange, sending flames at the Fire Guards. But the Fire Guards were quick in raising their own shields, and the fire disappeared as if it had never been there. These Fire Guards looked talented. Rella and the others couldn't hope to win a fight.
They dashed through the corridor, keeping their shields in place. Corner after corner. Cell after cell. It all flashed by Rella as if she were in a daze. Soon she grew tired. She'd spent so much time in a cell lately. They had fed her, but she'd still grown weak.
She glanced back. The Fire Guards were gaining on them, launching every spell they had at the shield. Rella could feel the shield weakening. They had another minute, maybe two.
And then they reached a dead end.
Faina's eyes were wide. "What are we going to do now?"
Rella strode toward the wall. "Faina, you need to keep the shield around us. Davin, can you do a Yellow/Green weave?"
He nodded.
"Good. We're going to shift the stone in the ceiling to block the Fire Guards."
Rella wove Yellow and Green within her, focusing her weave on the ceiling. With Davin's help, she dislodged some of the stones. They came crashing down, blocking the corridor. The Fire Guards retreated, barely avoiding being crushed.
This barrier wouldn't hold long.
"Now we need to create a new passage through the wall here," Rella said. She prayed that the Yellow/Green weaves protecting these walls had faded over time. This was an abandoned prison, so surely no one had maintained it over the years.
Rella and Davin both wove Yellow and Green, directing their weaves at the wall. At first, nothing happened, but then the stones began to shift. Rella ignored the shouts coming from behind and the sounds of the rock barrier shifting out of the way.
A great crack came from the wall, and it split open, giving them a passage into the next cell block. Davin raced through the opening first, and Rella followed, tugging Faina after her.
"I think I know where we are," Faina said. "This is the way I came in." She took the lead, and they raced after her. From behind came the shouts of the Fire Guards. Without thinking, Rella wove Yellow and Blue, forming another shield. A moment later, she felt Faina adding to the strength of the shield. Rella didn't glance back, though.
They moved from the bright corridor to a darker one.
"We're going the right way," Faina said. "It's just a little bit farther."
Soon they entered an even darker room, and at the end of this room, a ladder led up to a trapdoor. Faina climbed the ladder first, followed by Rella, whose palms were so sweaty that she almost slipped off the ladder. Her legs were beginning to cramp.
Davin came up last. He sent one last parting gift of fire at the pursuing Fire Guards. They all recoiled from the flames.
Now Rella, Faina, and Davin stood atop the building. Faina took the lead again, directing them across the rooftop. They passed the bodies of two dead Fire Guards.
Rella grasped Faina's arm. "Did you kill them?"
"I had to."
They reached a set of steps at one end of the rooftops, then ran down the steps as fast as their legs would carry them. Rella doubled over, clutching at a stitch in her side, but she pushed through it. She couldn't give up when she was this close.
At the bottom of the steps, they darted through an alley. The pain in Rella's side had faded a little.
When they stepped out of the alley, they found a pair of Fire Guards waiting for them.
Rella wove Red and Yellow. Lightning crackled in the air. Their quick appearance must have caught the guards by surprise because they couldn't raise a shield in time. They hit the ground, covering their heads as if that could protect them from Rella's weave.
Her party raced past the fallen guards. Rella hoped she hadn't killed them, but at this point, she didn't care all that much. These people were in league with Atarin. Didn't they deserve to die?
But those were concerns for another time.
They raced through the narrow streets, pushing closer to the center of town. No one was pursuing them, but how long would that last?
After a while, they all slowed to a brisk walk. Sweat had drenched Rella's face despite the bitter chill in the air. Now that she wasn't running for her life, she shivered uncontrollably.
Soon they came to a place where there were more Sunlamps. They hung close to the Sunlamps, basking in the warmth. But as soon as they saw a Fire Guard patrolling nearby, they decided it was safer to stay out of the light and make their way through alleys whenever possible.
The journey through town felt as if it would never end, but they did reach the edge of town, where they made their way up the hill overlooking the city. Rella's legs felt as if they wouldn't support her any longer, so she clung to Davin for support.
At last, they reached the top of the hill, the place where the entire party had set up camp. A small fire burned in a thick patch of trees, and Kae sat awake around this fire.
She jumped to her feet. "Davin, Rella, you're all right!"
"Yes, we made it out," Rella said, barely staying on her feet. She felt a twinge of guilt at what she hadn't said.
Kae peered into the trees. "What about Andra? Where is she? Is she all right?"
"She's alive," Faina said, "but I'm afraid we couldn't get her out of there."
Kae's expression was grave. "Then we'll just have to keep trying."
Rella wanted to voice her agreement, but right now she needed to rest.
Chapter 8: A New Destination
"And just how did they know which key to use?" Atarin asked.
Karik maintained the calm mask he'd used his entire life. "I don't know. A lucky guess. Or they tried all the keys. There were a lot of keys on the floor in that cell block."
"I'll accept that," Atarin said. His tone was level, but anger simmered beneath it. "But how'd they make it in there. I believe you remained awake last night."
Karik shrugged, hoping it looked casual enough. "I must have been out of the room at the time. I didn't stay in this chair all night."
Atarin paced beside the chair. Karik could imagine the thoughts running through his head. In truth, Karik was terrified. Letting Rella go had felt right at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. Now his own life was at risk. Had he made the most foolish decision of his life?
They were alone in the room, and that was even more terrifying. Karik was a powerful Firelord, but he was no match for Atarin.
"Tell me the truth," Atarin said. "That's all I want. I'm not going to kill you if you did what I think you did." He continued pacing. "In some ways, I might even agree with it."
Karik took a deep breath. "I gave them the key."
Atarin stopped pacing. "Why'd you do it?"
"Because, for some strange reason, I've come to care about Rella. I know she's working against us. I
know she betrayed your trust, and mine. But it's not because she hates Fireweavers. She's scared, and I can't blame her. Freeing Halarik is a major risk."
Atarin stroked his red beard. "I know."
"But we have to take that risk. Maybe what happened at your palace was Halarik acting out of surprise. I can't believe he'd deliberately harm his own people. We have to stick with our plan. It's the only way to create a world where we won't be killed for what we are."
"I know."
Karik hesitated. "And you're sure Rella going free won't be a problem?"
"Why should it? She's one person. Even their entire group is small. I don't see any way they can stop us this time." He began pacing again. "They might have found another Sunlord, but that doesn't matter. All we need is the knowledge of this Lost Weave, and they can't stop us."
"I wish I had your confidence," Karik said.
"I'm the leader here. I can't afford to be anything less than confident."
"I still don't understand why you aren't upset with me. I went against your plans."
Atarin looked away, as if fighting an internal battle. "Well, as much as it pains me to admit it, Rella is my niece. She's the only family I have left. It would be a shame to see her die." He resumed his pacing. "I wanted to let her go, but I didn't want to look weak. I'm relieved that you took that decision out of my hands."
Karik leaned forward in the chair. "Do you regret what you did to Rella?"
Atarin walked to the other end of the chamber, avoiding Karik's gaze for a few moments. When Atarin turned back, he said, "Yes and no. Yes, I regret that I had to put her through so much pain. But at the same time, it was a necessary sacrifice. Cruel, but necessary."
"You're right," Karik said. "In the end, nothing is more important than our mission."
"That reminds me. I think it's time to travel again. We have stayed here too long."
Karik nodded. "Are you sure we can get all the way to Hyrandel?"
"It should be easier than I thought at first. I've been communicating with people from Rindel. They say that something very strange has happened up north in Tarileth. Many of their Lightless have suddenly turned into Fireweavers."
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