Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(62)

Their shield doesn't go all the way to the ground.

“Are you well now?” I ask Theodore.

“Yes.”

One less person to worry about. I want to grab Cynthia. She’s the most powerful, but that also means she'd be the most noticeable loss. Instead I motion to Bethany, Jack, and a warlock whose name I don't know but has small ears. They crouch down beside me.

“There's a weak spot,” I say, pointing to the feet of our opponents, hope rising in me for the first time since we entered this room. “Attack there.”

As one, we turn and shoot a rainbow of lights at our attackers. Screams fill the room. Their shield spell dims before going out entirely. Soon, it's an even fight. At least enough that we can work our way into the room.

As I go toward the closest prisoner, Jack yells, “Be careful.”

“You too.”

I slam a hex into the last warlock between the prisoner and me. The warlock falls to the ground, completely asleep. I jump over him, put a shield at my back, and work on the woman's lock. It's not complicated to pick with magic. The complicated part is her condition. As soon as I unlock her, she falls, slumping against me. There's little energy left in her, even less than any of the other prisoners we've encountered.

At this rate, we're going to have to kill or knock out all these warlocks before we can rescue the people. Though the woman is light from her time of torture, the weight is heavy on me. I promised I would come back and save them. I can't go back on that. I can't leave them here a second time.

Suddenly, Jack is at my side, taking the woman from me. “Go get the next one. We’ll pass her outside to where they can better help her.”

Brilliant idea. I release her, running to the next prisoner as soon as I know Jack has her. I dodge two spells on the way, setting up a shield spell as soon as I get there. As soon as I release the next prisoner, Jack is back at my side. We're making a line between us, the prisoners, and the warlocks, passing the prisoners along as I release them. A second line forms in front of us to help protect them as we pass them along.

Sooner than I would have thought we could do it, the prisoners are all free. Now we just need to get ourselves, and them, away from this place safely. There's not many warlocks left standing at this point. As long as nothing goes wrong, we'll make it.

I join Cynthia's side, attacking the last ten or so warlocks. They are fierce and strong, hence why they are left. A burgundy spell comes out of nowhere and splices my leg open. I hiss in pain and throw a sleep spell back. The warlock puts up a shield spell before it can reach him.

We need another weakness, like the feet from before, but there's nothing left but hardened warlocks. The only consolation is that I don't see a single prisoner in sight. I only hope we don't become the new prisoners.

“Retreat,” I call out.

Cynthia gives me a quizzical glance but backs up to the hallway as the rest of them do. Once we're out of sight of the warlocks, I say, “Why don't we bring the building down, like we did to the law office before the rest of you joined us?”

“That was you?” Theodore asks.

I shrug, but inside I'm glowing.

“I think it would work,” Jack says.

“It would slow them down at the very least,” Tawny says. “That may be enough to get everyone out of here.”

“Let's get out of here then so we can bring it down,” I reply.

A dark green spell flies over our heads, explodes over us, burning us where the sparks hit. It stings my face and arms.

“Move it,” I call out.

Cynthia throws a purple spell behind us as we all file through the hallway. It's too narrow to move fast as we need to. Another spell, yellow this time, comes sailing at us. Before I can react, Theodore casts a shield spell, blocking the attack. It gives the last of us just enough time to escape out into the open.

It'll do no good to bring the building down. The others are already fighting off attackers, the rescued prisoners safely in the middle of them, trying desperately to hold each other up. I ache from the last fight. I don't know how much I or anyone else has left for a fight. But I didn't come here just to be captured. I'll spit on the Grand Chancellor before I'll let the Chardonians capture me.

I run to the front of the line while using my battle cry. Before I even reach the front of the line, I blast out a flurry of sleep spells, trying to hit as many warlocks as I can. Several fall to the ground by the time I reach the front lines. Only, the attackers like my idea so much, they're flinging sleep spells back at us. One hits a warlock next to me, but I don't stop until I've reached the front line, screaming the entire way.

My presence seems to re-energize my group. The rate they fling spells increases enough that the other side is back off. I turn toward the back and yell, “Bring the building down!”

I fling several more sleep spells in front of me, aiming toward the warlocks moving the fastest. There's a crash behind me. The building is coming down, power lines snapping. One comes flying our way, landing on the ground between us and the forest of our escape. I curse under my breath.

“Get away from it,” I yell. It could still be live and who knows how many of these people, especially the women, know about electricity. One more thing to add to the list to teach them. At least, after we get out of this mess.