SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER!

The runes sear into my skin with the unfamiliar shock of pain that sometimes accompanied my use of Blood Magic. Hadrian had once told me that pain was the price paid for using it, because of how absolute that Blood Magic could be.

It was our native magic to begin with and thus unique to every individual dragel. I'd simply learned that mine could be just as temperamental as my empathy when it had first started.

The first strains of relief came slipping towards me and I closed my eyes to savor the feeling of it.

Magical bonds loosened and twisted, slowly melting away to give the young women their freedom.

When the chains clanged to the stone floor, my eyes flew open to stare at them. They were holding each other tight in the usual reassuring embrace of siblings making sure the other was alright.

And then their magic returned.

It was a beautiful thing to witness.

Rich white swirls of the finest sparkling sand and golden sparkles to accompany them. Sweeping up from the floor and washing over them as if from head to toe, cleaning their white robes to be lovely white gowns with matching capes.

The one on the left has her braid on the left and the one the right mirrors it. Charming detail, I note, because they look more regal than I expected them to and something tells me that there's more to the pair than I really want to know.

But for now, I just have to get them out of there. Far away from this place.

Myself included.

"Hey—hey there—you two!"

They both turn to me, with identical looks of disdain down their prettily pointed noses.

Ugh.

"You'll never make it out of the stairwell," I said, grimly. "Use your magic properly." I try not to look at the other cells. There are too many hopefuls in there and I don't want to free them.

Not because they don't deserve freedom—or because they don't—but the escape route I know that will work, will cost.

I can pay that price, for three—but not for anyone else.

Someone will die, if I should let them out—there is absolutely no doubt about that.

"Did you do this?" The one on the left asks, holding up one of her arms, the white gown's sleeve is stained with rusty red—blood.

"Yes. To get you out of that," I start towards the door and stop when a bolt of golden magic shears out and scorches the ground a few inches away from my borrowed boots (because of course I borrowed Theo's boots. His are always the most comfortable).

"Blood Magic?" The one on the right sputters. "How dare you!"

"You're welcome," I snap back. I wave a hand at the door. The locking mechanism begins to twist and churning, clicking open to release me.

"We did not require your assistance!" The left one says, frostily. "Kindly refrain from meddling in our affairs, outsider."

"Excuse me?"

"We don't need your help," the one on the Right says. "We've managed well enough on our own."

"They're going to kill you."

"Magic never dies."

I stare at them. I didn't have to do this but—well, yes—I did. Kind of.

I don't have time to explain things in pretty words and neat snippets of witty summary. I just need to get them out of there. I also need a feather from each of them.

And I really don't have time to be nice about it-!

"Twenty minutes," I heard myself say, brusquely. "I'll see you topside."

Hadrian's taught me to cling to the shadows and that's how I manage to slip out of the cell and up the stairwell.

It's how I know how to go through the walls and not actually up the stairs and then down the stairs and into the courtyard.

And of course, I can fly—so it hardly hurts to fall from that height, skimming down to touch on the dusty courtyard.

Then I wait.

Because it won't take long.

I did give them a deadline after all.

Mercenary turtledoves and goodness knows what else. Forgot to post yesterday. Thanks for the support, you wonderful darlings. I do appreciate it, as I know this isn't my usual fare, but I wanted to write something quick. I do have another Christmas piece (in my usual 3rd person POV style), that I might post sometime tonight or tomorrow, if I can clean it up. Buried under Christmas things at the moment. Thanks for reading and reviewing! ~Scion