“If I had to bet, I’d say we’re in the right spot, and that they ward these cells even more strongly against witches than those above,” Andre said. “They’ll probably stifle a shifter’s power too.”
“And if they keep vamps down here, the cells will be extra strong,” Francis added.
The door to the hallway flung against the back wall before we’d chosen a cell to open. I twirled, prepared to strike, only to find the Tornas’ groups filing in. I exhaled in relief. Simone was working fast.
“We think the spies are down here,” I yelled, in case Simone hadn’t explained. “We’ll go farther down the hall. You try to open one of the cells closer to the stairs.”
The faeries’ teams began trying to use aether magic against the doors. Despite being in a hurry, I couldn’t help but watch.
Their efforts didn’t make a dent.
This is bad.
“Odette,” Andre said. “I think these cells are more resistant to magic. You and Eva might be the only chance. If the demons had a hand in this facility, I doubt they would have warded it against their own magic. The rest of us should probably just save our energy.”
The door to the stairwell slammed open, and the shifters appeared.
“Only labs on our levels!” Dasha called out.
They have to be down here.
I nodded. “Everyone, stand back.” I thrust out my hands. “The moment whatever is behind this door appears, be prepared to either help it or attack.”
With that, I let my demon magic fly. It hit the cell door and began eating away at it as if it were nothing. The hallway filled with the reek of burnt metal as my power easily burst through the wards placed on the cell door.
I shook my head, unable to believe this shit. That all the protections placed down here were only meant to keep out magicals commonly found in this realm—the magicals who called ithome. Not demons. If anything, demons would probably be welcome here.
Total BS.
It took a few moments before a hole large enough for us to peer through appeared. The instant it did, a strangled scream hit my ear, and I stopped.
“Were you with the PIA?” I asked, throwing up a shield of demon magic between us and the door.
“Yes,” a weak voice croaked. “Fae division in the U.S.”
“Will you harm us if we let you out?” Andre asked.
“No! Just get me out of here.” She released a sob. “Please!”
“Move to the back right corner,” I instructed. “I need to blast the lock off, and I don’t want to hit you.”
There was a shuffling, slow and heavy. “I’m there,” the imprisoned fae said.
I directed my dark power at the lock, shattering it. The door stayed put, so I flung it open and found a faerie, huddled and shaking in the back of the cell.
With her wings and pointed ears, she looked like most faeries I’d seen, save for some key differences. Her skin didn’t glow, she was thin, so very thin, and trembling like a leaf in the wind.
“Help her,” I instructed, ignoring the smell of the cell and the buckets piled in the corner. This place was beyond vile. “I’ll move on to next door.”
I dashed out of the cell and waved down the hall. “Eva!”
My best friend looked up from the door she’d been examining.
“This is the right floor, and only black magic will work,” I informed her.
She nodded, completely unsurprised.
Eva and I worked our way down the hallways, blasting doors open while others retrieved the imprisoned. There were about ten doors left when a high piercing wail cut through the corridor.
