When the Raven Calls

Chapter 14

"HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I hate this plan?" I hissed, crouching in the shadows.

"Once or twice," Thomas said dryly from the other side of the doorway.

"Because I hate it. Like, really hate it, with every fiber of my being."

"You're so over dramatic," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just do your thing, Oh Most Powerful One."

"Now who's being overdramatic," I complained, but did as he asked. I closed my eyes, taking just a second to center myself.

"Are you done yet?"

"Shut up, idiot."

"And here I thought you loved me."

"That won't stop me from killing you. For all I know, I can bring you right back."

He stayed quiet this time. Good, I thought, I need to concentrate.

The Sense came to me slower than I'd have liked, but it worked. I could feel the people all around us, from the way that Thomas was leaning forward, watching me, to the way that the guards posted outside the cells were having trouble staying awake. One kept tilting forward slightly before jerking back upright, and I could tell that while one was terrified, another was extremely annoyed at having been assigned this job.

Someone's got an ego.

"Alright," I said, a moment later. "Three guys--two on one cell, one on the other. Go for the one first--he's better than the others. I count 5 captives in the cells, but they're all pretty weak, both physically and power-wise."

He stared at me in awe for a moment, and I gave him a pointed look. "Don't waste my valuable information."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, smirking slightly.

He stood and rushed around a corner, taking out the one soldier in a blur of steel and flesh before turning on the other two. As I predicted, one was so terrified of the Tainted behind him that he couldn't concentrate on the fight and the other could barely keep his eyes open, much less hold his own with a decent reaction time.

A satisfied smile traced my lips as I watched him, but my blood was singing that I should be out there, doing more. I hated violence, but I know how to carry myself in a fight, and I could be helping to free the prisoners twice as fast.

"Damn you, Syrena," I whispered, closing my eyes and resting my head on the stone wall. This had been her condition--I could come and use my powers, but until they tested how well I could handle myself while using the Sense, I was strictly out of the actual fight or rescue.

"Come on, come on," I heard him call urgently, rushing everyone out as he ignored their confused cries. I opened my eyes, looking down the hall at where Macey stood, watching me. She saw my gaze and nodded, and I stood quickly, darting lightly down to meet her.

"Time to go," she said, her face a mask of seriousness.

"How are we leaving, if not with Thomas and the captives?" I asked, curious.

"There's a back door. It's impractical for large, untrained groups, but two people will be just fine," she said, turning and hurrying down a hallway. The torchlight cast intimidating shadows, but I was more concerned with what was to come than the shadows that danced across our dusty footprints.

"Uh... Macey?"

"Shh! But yes?" she asked, much quieter.

"Why, exactly, is it impractical?"

"You'll see," she said in a not-so reassuring-way.

I followed her for another few moments, my concern growing with each step as we descended into the belly of the castle (and what was turning out to be mostly cold, damp rock).

She came to a suddenly stop in front of a doorway, and I would've crashed into her if she hadn't put her arm out to stop me.

"What are we--" I started, until she pushed the door open and I saw what lay beneath us in the darkness. I coughed on the smell, my nose wrinkling.

"You've got to be kidding me."

***

"I'M going to kill you," I said, shivering in the cold air, my damp clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin.

She laughed, unfairly dry as she stood next to me, walking towards our house. "How is it my fault that happened at the exact wrong time?"

"Fine," I said grudgingly. "But you never mentioned that our escape route risked falling thirty feet into the city sewage and dying a slow death at the hands of the lizards down there."

She laughed harder, rolling her eyes at me. "Sam, you can't possibly believe there are actually giant, man-eating lizards living under us. No one's listened to that nonsense since we were all children."

"Hey, stranger things have happened. I have magic powers and you managed to rope me into swinging across some pipes in the ceiling right as someone decided to hit flush."

She kept laughing, and I scowled, trying to hide the smile that itched to escape. The truth was that despite the fact that we were stinky, sore, cold, and covered in human waste, for the first time in a while, it had felt like my best friend and I had simply been out, having an adventure.

It was nice, this happiness. I had missed it.