Vesper gaped, completely dumbfounded.

Morgana had done it?

She'd cast a spell?

But how? That wasn't possible. You had to be a [Mage] to cast spells.

And such a strong one, too. It'd cut clean through metal. That wasn't something a fresh level one could do, right?

To confirm she wasn't going crazy, she checked on Morgana. Still, nothing. She definitely didn't have a class.

But the how didn't matter. Morgana had cut through her cell's lock. And by what she'd been saying, she planned to do so for Vesper as well—in exchange for helping her escape. Because even if they got out of their cells, they were hardly in the clear.

"Hey. Hey, wake up!" Vesper hissed. "Don't just lie there."

Which was a bit unfair, since Morgana had already done the impossible, but they were on a timer now. Plus, up to this point, Vesper had been assuming the woman was simply insane. She hadn't allowed herself to hope she might get out of this situation. Now that freedom was genuinely being dangled in front of her, she was far more invested.

After a minute of quietly—yet loudly enough to get her attention—trying to wake Morgana, the woman finally stirred. She groggily elbowed herself up, then rubbed her head, blinking around at her surroundings.

She groaned. "That took more out of me than I thought."

"Can you do it again?"

Morgana hesitated. "Yes."

"Then we should hurry," Vesper said, shifting from foot to foot. "That wasn't that loud, but someone might've heard."

Morgana stood for a second time. "Stand back."

Vesper scurried away, making as much space between her and the cell door as she could. If Morgana's spell could cut through metal like butter, she didn't want to test how little she would hold up.

"Don't overdo it, though," Vesper said, watch the woman raise her hand—the one with the blood diagram drawn on it. "If I have to carry you, that makes everything harder."

"But you would? Carry me?"

Vesper eyed her. A long moment stretched between them. Reluctantly, Vesper said, "I promised, didn't I?"

Morgana nodded, and Vesper couldn't help but think the woman was a giant idiot for trusting her, a random street rat prisoner, that much.

Then again, Vesper meant what she said, so who was the real idiot?

"I'll be more precise, this time," Morgana murmured, her brow furrowing.

A few seconds passed, and the process repeated itself. Red lines etched onto the air, energy impacted in some unexplainable way, making her teeth ache, then a gash of red light—smaller this time—cut the lock holding the cell door closed. It clattered loudly to the ground.

Morgana swayed on her feet, but Vesper slipped out and grabbed her before she collapsed.

"I'm—I'm fine," Morgana said, clutching Vesper's arm as she struggled to stay standing. "What now?"

"What now?" Vesper laughed incredulously at the idea. "Shit, I don't know. Depends." Her eyes flicked to the small barred windows locking them from the outside world. "Any chance you could cut through those?"

"No," Morgana said. "Too thick. Could barely…get the locks." She was slurring her words, leaning against Vesper's arm for support. "I don't feel very good."

"Okay, that's fine. Just stay awake. You did your job. I'll take it from here."

That was easier said than done. She tried to remember the layout of the guardhouse from when she'd first been escorted inside. She was pretty sure the guards were sitting to the right, just outside the exit door. Two of them. And it was only a fifteen foot sprint to the true exit—to the outside world.

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But which doors were locked? Both? One or the other? Only from the outside, but not inside?

Regardless, if Vesper went alone, her odds were way, way better.

Vesper looked down at the smaller woman leaning hard into her side, barely standing. Her purple eyes met Vesper's. They flicked across her face, and Vesper got the distinct feeling she was thinking exactly what Vesper was. Wondering whether Vesper was going to keep her word.

It'd be smart to leave her.

What the fuck did a promise matter?

"C'mon," Vesper said. "There's a window. I'm gonna peek through and see what we're dealing with."

She helped Morgana over, setting her against the wall. She at least didn't lose consciousness entirely.

Looking through the window as subtly as she could, she took in the limited view of the guard room. [Inconspicuous] would come in handy here—even if she showed up in their peripheral for a second, they likely wouldn't notice.

But what Vesper saw through the window dumbfounded her.

Because there was only one guard. The other had left to do the Creator knew what. And the one who remained at his post?

Asleep. Face-down on the wooden desk.

She gaped.

"What is it?" Morgana whispered.

"He's sleeping," Vesper said. "And I don't see the other one."

"Is that good?"

"Of course that's good." What the hell was her luck, today? First a [Mage] who wasn't a [Mage] that could cut through cell locks, and now the guards were missing and asleep, respectively?

Were the heavens smiling on her for the first time in her life?

She didn't trust it. Not for a second.

"Okay," Vesper said. "We don't have to make a run for it." That'd been her first plan. Literally just sprinting through the room and making a mad dash for her life, dragging Morgana along with her. Maybe the guards would be too stunned to react fast enough. Not a great plan, but what the hell else was there? Fight?

Now they had a real, viable strategy.

Sneaking.

Vesper had always been pretty good at that.

"We're gonna creep through," Vesper told Morgana. "Go slow. Quiet. Straight to the door. Then make a break for it. Leads onto the streets, and I know my way around." Or, somewhat. They were in Whitestone District. Vesper was far less familiar with that part of town than the Cobbles. But enough to not get lost. Besides, if they made it out with the guard none the wiser, didn't much matter. "Can you walk?"

"I have to," Morgana said.

Which wasn't the most inspiring answer. But the dark-haired girl pushed herself off the wall and stood unsupported, if with a bit of a wobble, proving her point

Vesper rubbed her forehead. Her eyes flicked back to the window, peeking through to the sleeping guard.

"I'll go first," she said.

Holding her breath, she turned the door's handle. Amazingly, it yielded, popping open. Either the guards didn't regularly lock it, or they'd forgotten.

Seeing how they were the type to abandon their post and fall asleep on the job? The negligence didn't surprise her. She clearly wasn't dealing with the best and brightest the city had to offer.

Neither were they, to be fair.

She inched the door open, the low whine from the old hinges making her wince. Making just enough space to slip in, Vesper did just that, stepping quietly into the guard's room. She scanned rapidly, but the other guard indeed wasn't in some corner that Vesper couldn't see from the window. He'd actually left.

And could be back any moment, she knew. The still-present guard could wake also. She and Morgana were on a few different time limits, here.

She gestured for Morgana to follow, holding a hand out. The woman accepted the support. She could walk, but she was obviously struggling to stay awake. Only adrenaline and the urgency was keeping her up, if Vesper had to guess.

Together, they crept across the room. The quiet snoring of the guard filled the air—along with creaking floorboards.

They reached the door unimpeded.

Amazed, Vesper allowed herself to think for one moment it was going to be that easy.

Then she tugged down, and the door handle didn't budge.

Locked.

She squeezed her eyes shut and repressed a groan.

He'd forgotten to lock the door to the cells, but not the one leading outside. And of course not. This way, he couldn't be caught sleeping on the job. Visitors—say, his commanding officer—would have to knock.

She met Morgana's eyes. They shared a silent conversation. Vesper silently gestured toward the guard, then fiddled around at her hip.

'Gonna take his keys,' she mouthed.

She was a [Thief]. Couldn't be that hard, right?

Morgana nodded. Vesper left her by the door, which she leaned heavily into, seeming even paler than she had at the start. She looked moments from falling over.

Breathing steadily, Vesper made the return trip to the guard. Slow and silent. Barely a creak of wood. Most of the noise prior had been from Morgana. Of course the fancy noble lady didn't know how to move without making noise.

Arriving, Vesper crouched down. His keys were hanging there, right on his belt.

Maybe the obstacle wouldn't be as bad as she'd feared.

Gently grabbing the chain and starting to undo the keys one by one, Vesper allowed herself to relax. A minute or two from now, they'd be home free. All things considered, she'd gotten stupidly lucky. Having to snatch some keys was the least ordeal she had to suffer through.

She'd eased about half of them off the chain when—as it always did—something went wrong.

Vesper even had the privilege of watching it happen. Her eyes flicked sideways just in time to see Morgana sway, eyes fluttering as she visibly began losing consciousness. In an effort to stay upright, she reached out for anything to hold onto.

In this case, a coat rack.

Which then toppled over, clattering obscenely loudly in the otherwise silent room as both she, and it, hit the ground.

If she'd just slumped down, they might have been fine.

But nope.

She'd done the stupidest thing possible.

The guard jolted awake.

Well.

She guessed it was going to be a fight.