Thankfully, the dungeons weren't too hard to find. All she had to do was keep going down stairs until the hallways grew narrow and the air chilled. Finally, the passage widened, revealing a barred metal gate, past which were rows of cells. Two Reapers stood guard at the entrance. Carissa stifled a sigh, remaining just out of sight. Of course there were Reapers.

They slowly turned towards where she hid, their faces turned into black voids by their hoods. That's right. They could sense her, just as she could sense them.

Carissa bit back a curse and began stumbling up the stairs with the grace of a drunken sailor. Only too late did she hear dozens of footsteps descending down the stairs.

Lands. Now what should she do? Go back down?

Before she could change directions, the owners of the footsteps came into view. More guards.

Carissa nearly drew her dagger before remembering she wore the same armor they did. The guard at the head slowed and approached her, and she kept her head down.

His feet stopped a few inches in front of her, standing one stair step higher. "Guard, you don't go ahead of your group. Understood?"

Carissa nodded, relief washing over her. He'd assumed she was another guard.

"Now stay at the back of the line or I'll flog you bloody." He jerked his head back up the stairs. Behind him was a long string of guards. Once their leader marched forward, the others followed. Carissa waited and slipped into the back of the group.

The leader halted before the Reapers. "We are to escort the King to Zorelle."

Carissa felt her blood freeze over. Perhaps Zorelle was a common name.

One Reaper unlocked the gate before they both stepped back. As Carissa and the guards filed into the prison, the Reaper's gazes searched the group of about fifteen guards. She tried to remain huddled with the few guards in the back of the line to blend in, and she passed through without them stopping her.

The metal gate clanged shut behind her. Even if she were to rescue Elon, they'd need the Reapers to let them back out. And she doubted they'd be obliging.

As they entered the dungeons, the group suddenly slowed. The leader pointed to a cell on their left. "That is where the King was initially imprisoned."

As Carissa looked closer, she realized the bars were warped and misshapen. Had Elon done that? Her heartbeat hitched. Typically if he was taken captive, he was rather calm, assured of himself and the future. If he'd been so determined to escape, he must have been truly afraid for her.

Their leader scanned their expressions. "Impressive, I know. Remember that when we're escorting the King. He may appear to be little more than a boy, but he is not to be trifled with. Use extreme caution, and ensure the gems are always touching his skin."

Which meant that her first goal would be making sure these gems weren't touching him.

As they passed more cells, Carissa caught sight of Kybelle, Algernon, and Lyron, contained in adjacent cells and all looking equally downtrodden. Except for Algernon. He spat in their direction and muttered something insulting about their mothers.

Carissa tamped down the urge to wave at them. She'd come after them soon enough, but she had to save Elon first. With Elon at her side, she could take on any Reapers and guards that dared to come their way.

And then the guards approached a stairwell, descending further into the dungeons. Carissa gritted her teeth as she stumbled down the first steps, leaning heavily against the wall. A few soldiers grunted and pushed past her as she fell behind. After a few moments, she was completely left behind.

If she wanted to save Elon, she'd have to push past the pain and keep up.

Carissa went faster, nearly stumbling a few times. Agony ricocheted against her skull, and the world blurred in and out of focus. By the time, she'd reached the bottom, everything was spinning so fast she could barely see. She collapsed to her knees just as bile surged up her throat. She vomited onto the floor before wiping the back of her wrist across her mouth.

Her vision gradually cleared as her nausea receded. She staggered to her feet, closing the gap between her and the group at a slower and steadier pace. If she was so weak and disoriented, how was she going to take on enough soldiers to help free Elon?

Metal screeched, then squeaked as the leader unlocked and opened the cell door. Carissa tried to peer around the men to see Elon but couldn't find him. If he was manacled to the wall again, he was seated low enough that she couldn't see him past the guards in front of her.

Once she entered the cell, she finally saw him. He was blindfolded, gagged, and chained to a stone table, which was encrusted with dried blood. She was glad to know none of it could be his. Her foot landed on something soft and slightly squishy. She glanced down and found a severed hand, the flesh rotting, the skin withered, and bone showing at the finger tips.

Carissa swallowed another bout of bile, her gaze wandering to the tools on the walls. This must be their torture chamber. Though the cell smelled of burnt flesh, at least Elon appeared to be unscathed. The stench was likely from a previous inhabitant.

She walked alongside the table, wishing she could reach out and comfort him, let him know she was here and that she was... Well, she wasn't alright, but she was alive, and that was enough. The other guards pressed in on either side of her, leering at the subdued King.

One of them snickered. "Not so powerful now, is he?"

The leader of the group shot him a warning glance. "He's still quite powerful, even with the gems draining him." He gestured to Elon's manacles.

Carissa glanced at them. Each one was embedded with a purple gem, giving off a soft glow. They looked like the gem in Lila's collar.

The leader waved a few men over. "You have the chains? Excellent. As soon as I remove the chain from his manacle, fastening him to the table, we must bind him in these chains. He mustn't even have a moment to escape."

One guard began fiddling with Elon's manacle, and Elon's entire body tensed—his first movement since she'd entered the cell. The man chuckled. "Burns doesn't it, highness? How does it feel to be a little more mortal?" Then the man pressed the bejeweled manacle more firmly against Elon's wrist, making Elon's body convulse before he stiffened again. A bead of blood slipped from beneath the manacle, rolling down his forearm.

Carissa gasped, her heart stalling. They could hurt him?

Fifteen gazes swung her way at the sound, and Carissa realized her mistake too late.

The leader straightened, his eyes narrowing on her. "Is something wrong, soldier?"

She ducked and glanced at the ground. "No, sir."

He stepped so close that they nearly stood chest-to-chest. "Look at me when you speak to me."

Carissa swallowed thickly and glanced up. Before she could repeat herself, the man grabbed her chin tightly enough to leave a bruise. He tilted her head back, then to the side, an ugly smirk blossoming on his face. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here, men."

The other men huddled around her, leaving no escape routes open. Whispers of  "a woman" swept across the group. One man suggested, "What's say we have some fun with her, Sebander? I haven't had—nor seen—a woman since the Reapers arrived. They must have all hidden themselves away somewhere."

The leader—Sebander—replied, "We'll bind her for now, leave her in the barracks. After we give the King over to Zorelle, then we'll return for her."

There was an explosion of movement behind them, the sounds of chain rattling. The guard who'd been loosening Elon's chains laid crumpled on the floor, and Elon was sliding a key through his other manacle, his gag and blindfold loosened so they hung around his neck.

Sebander's nostrils flared. "Subdue him!"

"No!" The cry tore itself from her throat as she lunged for them, dagger in hand. She sliced through one's upper arm before several guards converged on her. She danced back, knowing her dagger wasn't a match for their swords. The world swayed, and her shoulder crashed against the wall.

She had to distract them long enough for Elon to escape. But how? There were fifteen of them, and the fighting was exacerbating her dizziness. They approached her, and Carissa realized she was out of time. And she didn't have a plan.

***

Author's Note: Since I know how much you guys love cliffhangers, I wrote you a sneak peek--which also has a cliffhanger! Read at your own risk ;)