Chapter 16: Alianne Crow

Everything was finally falling into place. The guards had been stupid enough not to constantly check their keys so Trick could steal them.

Trick rolled down the wall and up to me. I stood as straight as possible. The pain racking through my body was intense. Everything hurt.

I knew that mages were some of the best torturers, but I had never seen them work. That was different now – a lot different.

Trick was ice cold against my fevered skin as he rolled up to the cuffs holding my arms above my head. I heard twin clicks and my arms came down. They tingled. Trick rubbed against my neck, just under my ear.

"David?" Trick asked.

I hadn't seen him in a long time. Days, weeks, and months barely held any meaning in this dark hole. They only became important when Trick passed me information that I had to feed to Bastard.

"No," my voice was rough. If I didn't outright lose it, it would be hoarse for a very long time. "We'll have to come back for him. With many pack members and soldiers as back up."

I limped toward the door, and rattled it gently. It was locked. I sighed and pressed my forehead against it. The door being unlocked when I got to it would be too damn easy. The Trickster should grace me with a bit more help.

I am. The darking can unlock the door.

"It would have been nice for help earlier," I mouthed the words, not willing to sound insane, even though I might actually be insane.

As soon as I find what god helped hide you from me, I will make sure that it never happens again.

I had only heard that level of menace in the Tricksters voice once before: when Sarai had escaped – ran away. I do not like to hear it again, even if it wasn't directed at me, but I was too injured and tired to really process that I needed to be hiding.

The Trickster's voice softened, Darking. Unlock the door.

I heard the lock clicking open, and it swung open. I lost my balance, and stumbled forward. I managed to keep my balance until I crashed into the wall on the other side of the hallway. My shoulder ached something fierce. Distantly, I registered that it was at least bruised, but I was really tired.

I started walking down the hallway. I didn't know if I was going the right way or not.

The other way, I heard a voice say. I stopped. Something squeaked in my ear, and I heard something scream. I turned around and started walking away from the scream.

I turned a corner and something whizzed past my face. I started. That woke me up. I ducked behind the wall for cover. I now heard more screams, bouncing and echoing off the walls. I looked for whatever projectile that had woke me up.

It was a knife.

Happy day.

I picked up the knife and flung it without looking at the enemy. I heard a gurgled scream and knew I had hit the mark. I limped down the hallway as fast as I was able. I pulled my new knife out of the man's throat and searched him for more. He didn't have any more, just the one knife that he kept in his boot, which is the one he threw at me.

When I stood up, I was fairly certain that the face under the blood was one I recognized. He must have been one of my guards.

I moved down the hallway, attempting to adopt the loping run I used when I was fighting. I checked the hallway before running headlong into it.

There was the other guard, tangling with a soldier. I had no idea who the soldier was, but I was willing to side with him against the man that had been my captor.

I darted forward – fortunately not tripping – and plunged my knife into his back. I heard his ribs crack, and he fell. The soldier let him fall.

I looked up at the soldier, who was staring down at me like he was afraid that I would vanish, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

I was probably looking at him in exactly the same way.

"Nawat…" I whispered.