Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(77)

“That was a squad of twenty-five men,” he whispered. “All of them armed and headed to the mines.”

“How do you know that’s where they’re going?”

“Down this hallway, there’s an entrance to the mines on the left.” He opened the door and peered out. Waving me on, we tiptoed in the direction the men had just gone.

The hallway came to a T. Anders leaned down and whispered in my ear, “To the left is the entrance to the mines. To the right is the dungeon. Stay here.”

Without waiting for me to respond, he went around the corner and out of sight. As I stood all alone, my heart hammered. I heard two grunts followed by a soft thump.

A moment later, Anders poked his head around the corner. “Come on.”

To the left was a fifty-foot long hallway. At the end, a black iron door was propped open. We headed to the right. This corridor was about half that length. At the end, two sentries lay on the ground, not moving. Anders grabbed a ring of keys from one of them and unlocked the iron door, hoisting it open. An eerie, reddish light illuminated a steep staircase leading into the dungeon.

Anders pocketed the keys and went first down the narrow, stone steps. As I descended, the air turned stifling hot. Nearing the bottom, two soldats stood guard with their backs to us. Anders pointed to the one on the right. I raised my bo staff, hitting him with a jolt of power. He fell to the ground just as Anders shot the other one with a dart.

We stepped around them and entered a long corridor lined with cells. Locked inside were haggard men with long unkempt hair, torn clothing, and skin covered with black soot. The putrid smell of fecal matter permeated the air making me gag. Were these prisoners unjustly held? Or did they deserve to be here? Should we release them?

Anders was already at the end of the first corridor, motioning for me to hurry up. Not looking at any of the prisoners in the eyes, I jogged and caught up with him. We went down two empty corridors, the torches casting a blood-red glow.

We came to a stop. “Beyond this door is where the Krigers are located,” Anders whispered.

My bo staff pulsed with an energy that radiated joy and excitement. Even if Anders hadn’t told me, I still would have known the Krigers were there.

“The hallway is heavily guarded by large, burly men who have spent years working down here. They won’t show you mercy or compassion—they’ll rip your arms off without a thought. It’s a small space, and we need to neutralize the soldats before reinforcements show up. I’ll go in first, and you come in right after me. Don’t be afraid to unleash your power.”

“Okay, killing blows.” I readjusted the bo staff in my hands, preparing to fight.

“Make sure your aim is true. I don’t want one of the Krigers accidentally hurt.” He unsheathed several knives and stretched his neck. “Are you ready?”

Panic swelled inside of me. What if they overpowered me? What if a Kriger died? What if something happened to Anders? My weapon warmed, and a sense of calm melted into me.

“Kaia,” Anders gently said. “If I didn’t think you could do this, I wouldn’t take you in there.”

“I’m ready.” I connected to my power, and certainty filled me.

Anders nodded toward the door. I grasped the handle, took a deep breath, and swung it open. The hallway was narrow with cells along the right side. A dozen armed men turned to face us.

Anders started throwing knives faster than I thought possible.

Raising my bo staff, I aimed at the first soldat, freeing my power and not holding back. He burst into flames. Another one ran for me. I aimed at his chest and struck him. He disintegrated into thin air. A third man threw his sword at me. I shifted to the side and pointed my weapon at him, releasing my power. He fell to the ground and shriveled up.

All the soldats were neutralized.

“Excellent job,” Anders said, wrapping his arms around me. “You’re not injured, are you?”

“No. What about you?” There weren’t any scratches or cuts visible.

“I’m fine,” he said, bending to retrieve his knives.

In the cells, eleven wide-eyed men stood intently watching me. They were just as decrepit as the other prisoners with unkempt facial hair, body odor, and torn clothing.

“Let me introduce all of you to Kaia,” Anders said, “the final Kriger.”

“If I hadn’t seen her use that bo staff with my own eyes,” one of the older men said, “I wouldn’t believe it possible.”

The others mumbled their assent.

Hot pain radiated though my hands, making me yelp. I gripped my weapon tighter, trying to alleviate the feeling. Anders’s eyes widened at something behind me. His knuckles turned white as he clutched his knives, still red with fresh blood. I spun around.

Skog Heks closed the door, locking us inside.

“Stupid girl,” she spat, waddling toward me. “Who do you think you are, coming into my home? Trying to steal my pets? It’s time I kill you and end this nonsense.”

Anders tried to push me out of the way, but I stood firm and blocked the hallway.

“You can’t kill me,” I said. “If you do, you won’t get your magic back.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “I’ve already waited a hundred years. What’s a few more? Especially for the pleasure of tearing you apart.” She grabbed my arm with her chunky hand, her nails digging into my flesh. “Torturing you wasn’t enough? Had to come back for more?” Her hot breath assaulted my face.