“Jakab and Leo.”
Karlos strode closer to the cracked wall. “How? Wait. Never mind. What’s your plan?”
“Leo!” a feminine voice cried out. “You’re here.”
“Yes! Our mate is alive,”his dragon whooped with relief, and smoke poured from Leo’s mouth.
“Of course, I came for you, my lodestone. I intend to dig through the wall and retrieve my mate,” Leo declared.Even if he had to do it with his bare hands.By Lodar, Gwenyth was still alive. That was excellent news and rekindled determination surged through him.
“We need tools,” Jakab murmured. “Dragon fire won’t work. I have my dagger, but you’ll need a crowbar and a strong hammer at the least.”
Leo’s shoulders slumped. Jakab was right. “All I have is my dagger. Perhaps Cook has something we can use.”
“We shouldn’t involve her,” Jakab said. “Once your parents learn we gained access to the dungeon via the old kitchen entrance, they’ll ask questions. She shouldn’t suffer for our actions.”
Jakab was right. The kitchen staff had seen them and could talk, given the right incentive. Frustration simmered through Leo as he juggled pieces of plans and decided what to do for the best. “We’re running out of time. Let’s retrieve tools and spring Gwenyth.”
“Are you still planning to fly to Perfume Isle?”
“We’ll be safer among friends,” Leo said. “My house is the first place my parents will search. There and the human village. I feel stupid for not bringing tools.”
“We didn’t know we’d find a simple way into the dungeon. Karlos, we’re coming back once we locate tools.”
“The shift changes in one hour,” Karlos warned. “My replacement kowtows to the head soldier.”
A sense of hopelessness assailed Leo then. Obstacles faced him in every direction.
“I’ll try to find something to help you from this side,” Karlos promised. “I can’t dig from this side, but I can pass the tools through a larger crack.”
Leo pulled out his dagger and scanned the cracks in the wall. After choosing the largest one, he attacked the old mortar and stone.
Karlos left and returned with tools. “A bit of luck for you. My replacement is Georges. He’s lazy and will spend most of his time playing cards with the other guards at the midway station. I doubt he’ll bother checking down here.”
“If you let us out of our cells, we could help dig from this side,” Gwenyth said.
Leo heard the keys in a lock.
“Let Martinos out too,” Gwenyth said. “He’ll help.”
They had accused Martinos of rape, and even though Leo hadn’t considered him capable of the crime, he opened his mouth to demand Gwenyth stay away from the dragon.
“Leo, your brothers set up Martinos in collusion with Nan. Martinos will help us.”
“Our Gwenyth is right,”his dragon said.“We must trust this dragon’s will to escape is greater than his desire to injure our mate.”
Karlos unlocked the dragon’s cell. “Stay inside until I return.”
Leo wanted to protest, but both Martinos and Gwenyth remained in their cells. Leo dug at the stone and mortar, trying to widen the gap. He chipped a fraction of the cement away, but the constant grind of his blade against the stone blunted it fast. His frustration rose at the impossible task before him.
“Don’t despair,”his dragon shouted at him. Leo’s shoulders slumped anyway.“We will succeed.”
“Someone is coming,”Martinos warned from inside his cell.
Leo stilled, ready to attack, only relaxing when Karlos strolled up to them.
“I gathered what I could find. Make sure you take them with you and discard them somewhere outside the castle. Each tool bears the castle mark for identification,” Karlos said.
“We will do as you say,” Gwenyth promised.
