They’d stripped him to the waist and cut a bunch of gashes in him. He wore no restraints and didn’t stir when she moved closer to him. She grabbed the door and pulled. Even with her enhanced strength the steel door didn’t budge.
“Master Shen.” She spoke just above a whisper and even that seemed far too loud.
He groaned and turned his head toward her. His face was a mass of bruises and one eye had swollen shut. She winced and tried again. “Master Shen, I can’t open the door.”
He crawled toward her, but only managed to get a few feet closer. He muttered something.
“I can’t understand, Master.”
“Drugged.”
Of course they’d drugged him. He couldn’t use his powers if he couldn’t concentrate. Jen fished a healing potion out of her pocket and reached as far into the cell as she could. He stretched out a trembling hand, fumbled, and finally got a grip on the vial.
He ripped the cork out of the top with his teeth, spat it out and drank the potion in one gulp. His bruises faded and the gashes on his chest shrank. A minute later he sat up and rotated his arm, and nodded.
“Thank you, Jennifer. I feared I’d die in this awful place.”
Relief flooded through Jen. “Can you open the door?”
He conjured a golden key and fit it into the lock. A second later it clicked and she pulled it open. He stood up and joined her in the hall. “What do you say we escort these people out of here?”
Chapter 19
Master Shen pointed at the wall. A lance of golden energy shot out and he cut a circle in the wood. The disk fell into the snow outside with a dull thump. Jen glanced back at Talon who stood just inside the doorway. He shook his head. No reaction from the torturers.
Jen hurried over and crouched beside him. “Fetch the others. We’re getting these people out of here.”
“With pleasure.”
Talon eased out onto the catwalk and Jen went back to join Master Shen. “You’ve regained your power.”
“I never lost it.” He spoke in the same low tone. “I just couldn’t focus enough to use it. I’m eager to hear how you found me, but this isn’t the time.”
Jen seconded that. He conjured keys for the other cells and unlocked them. The rest of her squad arrived a moment later. “Get ’em out of here,” she said.
Rhys went in the first cell and helped people to their feet. Alec helped them to the door and Talon and Edward guided them out the hole in the wall. The prisoners staggered and shuffled down the hall. This was taking too long. Jen gritted her teeth and kept quiet. They could only move as fast as they could move.
They emptied the first cell. It held ten of the sickest, scrawniest looking people she’d ever seen. While Talon half-carried the last prisoner out into the alley Rhys moved on to the second cell.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The servant from the Santen’s villa floated at the entrance to the cell block. Power sent her short hair flying every which way. She’d traded her servant’s outfit for an equally short black dress. Like Mariela said, her feet were bare.
“You!” Master Shen sent a blast of raw soul force down the hall, barely missing Jen, and sending the enemy sorcerer hurtling back into the far wall. He raced after her and explosions followed a moment later.
Jen grimaced. This was getting out of hand fast. She grabbed Edward as he passed. “I don’t care if you have to carry them, but we need to speed this up. If we don’t hurry, those two will bring this dump down on our heads. Spread the word.”
A crash sounded from upstairs and shattered boards rained down into the pit. Come on, Master, fight her in the air, away from the building. A bald, broad-shouldered gang member with black fire burning in his eyes leapt up onto the catwalk. He carried a four-foot-long double-bitted ax and was running toward Jen.
She drew her sword and forgot all about the dueling sorcerers.
Jen met her opponent at the doorway. She had to keep him out of the cell block.
He swung the broad-bladed ax with all his might.
Jen hopped back.
The ax tore a two-foot chunk out of the doorway.
She lunged, hoping to finish him before he recovered.
Somehow the man batted her attack aside with the haft of his ax.
Jen recovered and blocked his back cut.
This guy moved every bit as fast as the other bunch they’d fought.
She slashed high, low, high. He blocked every attack.
Jen repeated the series with the same result, a lot of noise and no blood.
Her sword went high then low again. The thug raised his ax, anticipating her high slash. Just as she’d hoped.
Jen spun and cut low again.
Soul-forged steel sliced through the flesh of his thigh, taking the unfortunate man’s leg off above the knee.
Jen kicked him in the chest. He flew over the edge down into the pit.
She walked to the railing and leaned over. Like rats fleeing a sinking ship the thugs rushed down a hole in the floor. Jen leapt over the rail. Maybe she could capture a couple of them.
Two rushed her, short swords drawn. They lacked the black flames and she cut them down in seconds. Those seconds proved expensive. The door to the secret passage swung shut and a lock engaged. She stomped on it, but the thick metal lid didn’t budge.
“Damn it!”
She could do nothing about the escaping thugs so Jen turned her attention to the bound and bleeding prisoners. She sheathed her sword and grabbed a fallen knife. An emaciated man flinched at her approach.
Jen cut his hand free. “Easy, I’m here to help.”
She freed the second hand and he slumped against her. “Heaven bless you, girl.” He gasped the words out like it took the last of his strength.
Edward landed beside her and took the unconscious man out of her arms. Another blast shook
