Ugh.
Ow… Being awake was painful right now, but I cracked open my eyes and groaned anyway.
Where… Cold stone floor.
The steady drop of water.
The omnipresent musty smell of mold and moss.
In a heartbeat, I yanked myself up, heedless of my pounding head.
Kat.
Where was— I was in a cold stone cell.
No windows.
Bars alongside the wall, and a light further down the corridor that gave me just enough light to see I wasn’t alone in here.
Kids.
Mostly younger than me.
They were shuffled around the cell, stuffed into corners, dressed in thin rags.
I felt a tug on my shirt and looked down, numb.
It was a little boy, around five or six.
“Big bwoder?
Is it you?” The desperation in his eyes made my stomach churn, and I yanked back.
He gasped, and began lurching forward, in a fall.
Shit!
I lunged forward and caught him just before it was too late and steadied him.
“Uh, sorry.
No, I’m pretty sure I’m not your brother.
Where are we?” The boy sniffed.
“Our pawents gave us to dese people.
We been down hewe.
My bwoder left with dem two days ago…” Okay, just think back.
What happened… We got off the carriage.
Another carriage came up.
Voice, and I turned to see an adventurer slipping a needle out of Kat’s neck.
I tried to draw my sword, but he was faster, grabbing me and shoving a cloth to my mouth.
I struggled for another minute before passing out… Kat!
I looked around the cell again, just to confirm she wasn’t here.
No blonde girl with freckles and light gray eyes.
No Kat.
It had to be Count Solace.
Was the countess in on it?
I mulled over it another minute before standing up.
No.
They purposefully waited until our lessons with the countess were over and the carriage was out of sight to kidnap us.
Although perhaps our association with the countess was what alerted him to us.
But now the countess wouldn’t be looking for us.
I walked over to the cell door.
It had a padlock on the front and was naturally locked.
Okay.
I was stuck in a cell with a bunch of little kids, while Kat was kidnapped by a psychopath hellbent on marrying her.
This may very well be my worst nightmare.
Another tug.
I looked down at the kid.
“My name is Ken.
Whuz youw name?” I sighed and tried to look down the hallway.
“Rey.
Ken, do you know how long it’s been since I got here?” “Um… a day?” He asked it like a question.
Right.
Underground.
They probably could only tell time by their meals.
A whole day.
My stomach tightened.
Kat.
I scanned up and down the hallway again, seeing more cells built into walls.
I had to get out.
She could already be… I grabbed the padlock and tugged on it.
Shit.
There was no way I was getting this open.
Unless… I took a deep breath.
In… and out.
Remember what Yarrow said.
Aura is your spirit manifested in the real world.
It’s similar to magic, although it’s a lot harder to unlock.
It’s essentially being so stubborn, you force the world itself to bend to your will.
People have been known to suddenly unlock aura in emergency situations.
With all the training you’ve been doing, you should be getting close to manifesting it.
You just need that last push… I was going to rip this padlock off.
I was going to get out.
These bars, this cell, anyone in my way were not going to stop me.
I had to protect Kat.
She was in danger.
I began pulling on the lock, as hard as I could.
And then harder still.
I kept it up for the next few minutes, determined to break my hand before letting go.
I felt something slip.
Inside me.
My hand flashed blue, just for a moment, and the sound of wrenching metal.
Now the lock was loose.
I had ripped it open, at the lock.
I quickly slipped it off the door and pushed it open.
There were several gasps and some kids shot to their feet.
I felt a pair of hands grab my shirt again.
“Wow, is like magic!
Rey, are you helping us?” Ken looked at me with big eyes.
I didn’t have time for this.
But… I scanned over the group and sighed.
“All of you, follow me.
I’m getting you out of here.” A few kids cheered before I glared at them.
“Quiet!
We can’t let the guards know we’re out.
Come on, follow me.” I held the door open as the kids filtered out.
And I saw the kids from the other cells pressing their faces against the bars, hopeful.
Damn it!
Kat.
I promise I’ll be there soon.
Please hold on until then.
Mmm.
I blinked, a canopy overhead coming into focus.
Where… Soft sheets, finer than any I’ve touched before.
A nice ceiling.
I gasped, and yanked up, remembering what happened before I awakened.
I’ve been kidnapped.
I looked around the room in a panic.
It was nice, but there wasn’t much there.
An armoire, a wardrobe.
I looked down to see I was in a nightdress, the clothes I had on before nowhere to be found.
I check myself over more carefully but didn’t find any sign of injury or… worse.
Where was Rey?
I clutched the sheets tighter, scared.
What did they do with him?
Was… was he… I shook my head.
I had no idea.
I should focus on what I can do right now rather the worst-case scenario.
I threw the sheets aside and jumped up.
I beelined for the door and tried the handle.
Locked.
Of course… I knelt down and looked into the lock.
And summoned up my magic, moving it inside.
I felt my way around the lock, until it clicked.
Unlocked.
I wasn’t trapped.
But I shouldn’t leave without a weapon.
I looked around the room.
There was a hairbrush in front of the mirror.
Yeah, that’ll work… I grabbed the hairbrush and stood far back.
Then I hurled it at the mirror.
The glass fractured, and pieces clattered to the ground.
I heard movement outside the doors now, and quickly seized ten shards of the mirror.
“It’s unlocked!
What are you bozos—” The door opened to show a man.
I sent a shard at him, letting fear guide my magic.
“Aaaagahhhh!” His face was sliced, and he lurched back.
I took off running, straight for the gap between him and the door, shoving my way past.
A hand reached for me.
Another slice.
“Ack!” The hand yanked back, bleeding now.
“Nobody said she was a mage!” I kept my breathing steady as I ran through the manor.
Window!
I grabbed some kind of vase with my mana and hurled it forward.
It smashed into the window and went flying out.
I ran to it, intending to jump out and get outside, but froze.
I was on the second story.
There was no way I could float down from here.
“Someone catch her!
It’s just one little girl!
Use the Mage’s Bane if you have to!” Ack!
I whirled around to see men rushing towards me, from all directions.
I began hurling the shards of glass wildly, grabbing more from the broken window and vase.
“Got her!” I turned towards the voice, and a cloth pouch hit my face dead-on.
It burst, and powder got onto me, and I coughed, breathing some in.
My mana went haywire, and I lost control of it, the glass dropping onto the door and shattering further.
The men rushed in, and I was pushed down, and something was slapped onto my wrist.
“Mage collar on!” Someone maintained an iron grip on my arm as the rest backed away.
It was a large man, in a knight’s uniform, his face stony and cold.
The other knights parted as another man came forward, wearing a very familiar crest.
My heart dropped into the floor as he came closer and leaned down.
He reached forward, grabbing my chin and forcing my face up to meet his.
He had slimy green eyes and thin features, including an upturned nose.
And hair that was like a shell, the smell of the product overwhelming his cloying cologne.
His breath reeked as he breathed into my face, some kind of product from in there too.
“You’re quite the little problem, aren’t you?
I’ll have to make sure to beat that rebellious streak out of you.” I tugged on my arm, even though it was useless.
I needed to get away.
I needed to get away from this man.
My every instinct screamed at me as he looked me up and down, making me shudder.
“Well, she’s awake now.
We might as well get the ceremony over with.
Bring her to the chapel.” He let me go, straightening up.
The knight holding me wrenched me forward, and I cried out as I stumbled, stepping on a piece of glass.
No one cared.
I was forced to walk on my cut foot as they dragged me down the stairs and back into a small chapel, attached to the main building.
It was small, with wooden pews, and a tiny pulpit.
An older priest stood in the middle, his hair combed over to try and hide his baldness, and he had some fancy robes on.
A small stained-glass window was the only source of outside light.
Two knights took their positions at the entrance, the rest staying outside.
I trembled as the knight holding me forced me in front of the altar, across from Solace.
“We’re in a hurry here bishop.
The basics please.” Solace looked almost bored as the priest took his place between us and cleared his throat.
“We are gathered here today to witness the union of Count Archibald Solace and Lady—” “I said the basics.” Solace shot him a glare and he paused again.
“Ahem.
Right.
Well, in that case…” He turned and opened up a small box on the pedestal.
He brought out a fancy looking book and a feather pen.
He turned back.
“You both just sign your names across from each other in this book.
Then I consecrate this marriage in the name of Elesia, and we’ll be done.” “That’s more like it.” Solace reached for the pen, when there was suddenly a knock at the door.
“Ugh.
Who is it!?
I’m in the middle of something important!” “Siiiiir,” The voice on the other side was high and panicky.
“The S-rank magician Ark is outside!” “What!?
Come in!” The door opened to show a steward with fear written all over his face.
But he stuck to decorum and bowed to Solace before continuing.
“Lord Ark claims to have seen a young lady trying to escape the manor from the street.
He says she threw a vase out the window, and that people inside the manor jumped her.
He is concerned for the young lady’s safety, and demanding entrance.” Solace tsked.
“Tell him I will receive him in a few minutes.
Bishop!
Give me that book!” He reached for the book and quill, but the moment he touched them he shrieked.
His skin began smoking, and they fell to the floor, glowing.
Angry red marks began to climb up his skin, looking like thorny vines.
Once they covered his hands, they stopped smoking and he looked at them in astonishment.
He glared back up at the bishop.
“Guards!
Seize him!
He placed a curse on the book!” The knights from the back began rushing forward and the bishop put his hands in the air and frantically tried to defend himself.
“No!
No, it wasn’t me!
That, that was the curse of Elesia!
She condemned him!
It was an act of divinity, not me!” It didn’t matter, as the knights grabbed him and yanked his arms back.
The bishop kept pleading as he was dragged away, back out of the chapel.
Solace tsked.
“Traitors, the lot of them.
I’ll have to acquire another priest.
But no matter.
We’ll just consummate the marriage before the ceremony.” I flinched and tried to step back as he tried to reach for me, but the knight held me in place.
I close my eyes, terrified as he grabbed my arm.
And shrieked again.
My eyes flew open, and this time he was rolling around on the ground, his hands between his legs as he screamed bloody murder.
The knight holding me gasped and let go, kneeling next to his lord to try and help him.
My chance.
I took a step towards the door, my left foot screaming in pain, but I had to take this opportunity to escape.
“You idiot!
Grab her!” I took another panicky step before my arm was grabbed and wrenched back again.
I cried out as I came face to face with Solace once again, this time his face twisted and nasty with anger.
“I don’t know what you just did you brat, but rest assured you will not sleep, and will not eat until it is undone.
How dare you cause me all this trouble!?
I give you the chance to marry into a respectable house and you run away!?
You would have become Countess Solace!
Your future child would have become the head of house one day!
You would have had all the luxuries you could ask for!” I tried to yank away, tears springing in my eyes.
My voice was choked, and raw with emotion.
“Let me go!
I don’t want to marry you!
Don’t touch me!” His face twisted even further.
“I swear when I get my hands on you, I’ll—” Suddenly, his voice cut out.
He kept speaking, but I couldn’t hear word he said.
I stared at him in confusion as he kept talking.
Suddenly, the sound came back as quickly as it went.
“—And then you’ll know your place!” He finished, his eyes manic and dark.
I just kept staring at him, utterly confused.
“What a disgusting thing to say to a little girl.
I’m glad I was here to spare her from it.” Solace, the knight, and myself all jolted and turned to the entrance of the chapel.
There, a magician stood, in a white mask and purple suit and cloak.
He was familiar… Oh!
The magician who performed during the Darkest Night Festival!
It was him!
He held a small crystal that floated in his left palm, and in his right was a cane with a shiny metal head shaped like a raven.
“Ark!” Solace suddenly yanked back from me, standing up.
“Why are you here!?
Did you come into my home uninvited!?” “Well, it was an emergency.
I was very concerned for the health of the young lady I saw trying to escape through a second story window.
Concern which was quite valid I see.” He twirled his cane and pointed it at the knight holding me.
“Let her go.
Unless you want to see what being eaten alive by ants feels like.” The knight hesitated, and Solace snorted.
“This is ludicrous.
You barge into my home and demand me to hand over my fiancé?
I’ll have you know, the proper arrangements have been made with her family.
I’m perfectly within the law.” The knight holding me suddenly began screaming.
He let go of me, and began swatting at himself, freaking out.
I took the chance to run over to the magician, grabbing his cloak and hiding behind him.
Ark snorted.
“Within the bounds of legality, but certainly not within the bounds of decency.
Even the goddess Elesia has condemned you for your disgusting nature.
Nasty business, divine curses.
Impossible to lift unless you atone for your sins.
No Count Solace, you will never touch a child again.
Not while those markings are on your hands and your… well, it’s not suitable for me to say in front of the lady.” He kept his cane pointed toward Count Solace, who scoffed.
“Ridiculous.
Hand over my fiancé, before I call the guards.
Once I report this incident to the king, you shall be imprisoned for your impudence.” Ark hummed, putting away his crystal, into his jacket pocket.
“Actually, would you mind waiting just a few more—Ah, here we are.” Something began vibrating in his breast pocket, and he took out a small marble.
He sent a flicker of mana into it, and it glowed, and began speaking.
“This is Rhina of the Iron Maidens reporting in.
Saintess Aliana has secured the children, and a ledger and client book that conclusively prove Count Solace is behind the largest child trafficking ring in the country.” “Thank you very much.
I’m currently making the arrest now.
Tell Aliana I’ll meet her with the girl at the church.” The orb stopped glowing, and Ark put it back in his pocket as Solace turned progressively paler.
Ark smiled at him.
“Count Solace, you are under arrest.”