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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. Thestrength 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. “Easiersaid 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.”