Pausing to grab a torch from one of the sconces, he led us through the halls to a stairwell cutting down into the earth. Men lounged in the room below, playing cards at stone tables, guarding heavy iron doors locked with a chain.
They sat forward, watching intently as the Warden unlocked the heavy padlock leading to the rows of cells. A few reached for the weapons at their belts, perhaps a trained reflex, or maybe in fear of who they knew was locked within.
Several images danced across my mind. A massive man with a wicked smile, a bearded wraith with hollow eyes. Whatever this murderer looked like, it was sure to be unpleasant.
Without the Warden’s torch, we would have ventured into utter darkness. Bumping into Percy, I grabbed his arm to keep myself from walking face-first into the hard stone walls.
“You hold them in the dark?” Percy asked.
The Warden looked over his shoulder. “Closest we can get to the eternal damnation of the Empty,” he answered. “Drives them mad. Only a few keep their heads.”
Our footsteps echoed, heralding news of our presence. Flinching with each new step, I peered into the cells, trying to catch a glimpse of their occupants. Each was sealed shut with a heavy stone door. Not even a slat allowed the occupants to gaze out, nor for those outside to gaze in.
Complete darkness and solitude.Forever. I shuddered at the thought.
The Warden brought us to the end of the hall, wrestling his keys out as he approached the center cell. I heard the key fit into the lock, though I could hardly see.
But the sound of a door scraping open didn’t follow.
Yanking the key out, the Warden stepped back, waving his torch over the door. He cursed under his breath and kicked.
The door scraped open, revealing a stone room of featureless walls and a single bench.
Anunoccupiedbench. The cell was empty.
My stomach tumbled into my nether regions when I realized what this meant.
“Stay here.” The Warden ordered me. “You.” He waved the torch at Percy. “Come with me.”
Percy grimaced, glancing at me, but the Warden was already jogging away. Pushing him encouragingly, I knitted my fingers together as the two soldiers disappeared into the shadows.
Great. Just great. A dangerous murderer was loose, and I was armed with a smile and honeyed words. A very useful thing in the pitch dark.
Feeling my way along the wall, I took a step forward, heard a bang from inside a nearby cell, and backtracked.
Was it safer to wait here? What if the cell’s occupant returned?
How had he escaped?
I couldn’t stay here. I wasn’t even supposed tobehere.
“Shitshitshit,” I muttered, running a hand along the wall to guide me through the shadows.
My hand slipped from the wall, and I stumbled forward. Had I reached the end of the hall? Turning in a circle, I strained to adjust to the darkness, but saw only vague blobs in the gloom.
Choosing a direction, I crept forward, feeling for the wall. Instead, my boot crashed into metal. Cursing, I hopped back, trying to see what I’d struck.
My back collided with a person who had most certainly not been there a moment before. A strong arm slipped around my waist, pressing me against his chest.
“Don’t struggle.” An almost charming voice laced with an unfamiliar accent whispered. “And I promise you’ll make it out of this alive.”
Before I could think of something to say, a dagger dug into my neck. Feeling cold steel, I gritted my teeth and managed a muffled, “Okay.”
Fire rushed through the hall ahead as several armed men holding torches raced down the steps. An officer barked orders from above, instructing them to fan out and find the missing prisoner.
The metallic thing my foot had struck had been a collapsed guard. My captor’s arm swam into view, a scarred wrist wrapped in a ragged bracer.
A soldier spun in our direction. He drew his spear.
