The morning arrived slowly. The prisoners were woken by a thin trickle of sunlight that came in through a grate built into the top of the wall at the far end, through which they could see people's feet moving hurriedly along the street above. They all looked around at the sound of the door opening and the thin man walking through.

He unlocked Livy's cell first and pulled him out of his bed. They marched up the narrow stairs and out of view. Iatus turned to look at the girl and she looked back at him, concern breaking across her face.

"So," started Iatus, "what does your Father do, who fights shedu and conquers Gauls?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Well, it may not matter but it might pass the time," Iatus said hopefully.

The girl sighed, "He is an officer in the 4th Legion."

"So how does a daughter of an officer end up here?"

The girl bit her lip, "He made some enemies among the higher ranks, and they all have friends in the senate, he sent home most of his pay to me and my mother, but one day it just stopped coming. We tried to contact him but we got no reply. I stole to feed my brothers and when I got caught, the magistrate recognised my name and sent me here. Magi do not forgive or forget."

"That is so unfair!" Iatus gasped.

"Tell me about it," the girl said bitterly and slumped back on her bed.

"How come you don't get dragged off to his room like me and Libby?" said Iatus, changing the subject.

"I can read," she replied, picking up a book from the side of her bed and waving it in the air for Iatus to see.

"Oh," was all Iatus could think to say.

Time passed in silence until Livy was brought back, looking bruised and exhausted. The man put him roughly back in his cell and turned to Iatus. He unlocked his cell and they marched off.

They walked up the stairs and down the corridor and into the man's little room. They went through their routine; Iatus repeating the words and then being scolded when he got something wrong.

They repeated the words until Iatus' voice cracked. The man frowned in disapproval, then something strange happened. The man gave a small nod of approval.

"I think tomorrow we will have you try and summon a demon."

"What?" Iatus exclaimed, wheezing slightly.

"I think you are ready to attempt the summons tomorrow, when your voice is back."

"But I've only been here two days!"

"Yes, but you have taken to it rather well, despite your common birth. I don't think you will get any better so we might as well get on with it. Besides, I want to see what this beast looks like, it put the shivers into our legions a few years ago and we might learn something from it. Now let's take you back to your cell, get some rest tonight, you will need it."

Iatus started to protest again but he was grabbed by the collar and dragged off to the cells.

The man shut the door gentler than usual and spoke through the bars, "Try to get some sleep now."

When he had gone the other two prisoners pushed their faces against the bars and Iatus could see their concern.

"Why was he so nice to you?" Libby asked.

"Isn't it obvious? He wants him to summon his demon tomorrow," the girl said.

Libby's mouth hung open a bit, "What, that can't be!"

Iatus could only nod slightly on his bunk.

"That's just not fair!"

"How well do you know the spell?" the girl pitched in.

"Pretty well, I think," Iatus groaned and sat up.

"Well, you must have a decent chance of success or he wouldn't put you to the test, right?" Libby said hopefully.

Iatus and the girl just looked at him and he shrugged.

"Realistically, you've got a day to live," the girl said, without too much concern in her voice.

"Thank you, so very much," Iatus said bitterly.

The girl didn't respond, just bit her lip and pulled a face.

"I don't want to go through with this anymore, I want to be back on the streets," Libby snivelled.

The other two didn't know what to say to that, so they remained quiet.

"We need to escape! Tonight. I can pick the locks and we make a break for it," Libby said frantically.

"What do you mean, pick the locks?" Iatus asked, standing up and moving up to the bars.

Libby started searching the floor for something, "I'm a professional thief, I can pick any lock, just gotta find something to pick it with,"

"You're telling us this NOW!" Iatus said, somewhere between anger and exasperation.

"Well, I was going to be the most powerful mage ever, so there was no need," Libby said, slightly manically.

Laying back on her bed, the girl snorted.

"And now your chickening out?" she said disdainfully.

"Well, umm, yes," Libby said thoughtfully.

The girl sighed and closed her eyes, "Wake me up when they catch you."

"What are you looking for?" Iatus asked when Libby began scraping the floor.

"Anything hard, long and thin."

Iatus nodded and looked around, the floor was completely bare, he tried to pick up the bed to look under it but he found it to be nailed to the floor with long, thin iron spikes.

He looked at them and wondered if he could somehow prize them out. A furtive look around later and he was straining on the bed as hard as he could. The bed was made of a solid block of the hardest wood he had ever seen and he could get no real purchase on it. Burning pains spread through his fingers as he put all he could into it.

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Giving one last effort, he leaned back from the bed, the ends of his fingers turning white. The bed made a screeching sound and he hoped that meant he was making progress. His fingers began to slide painfully over the edge as they grew sweaty.

Pain shot through his hands as they finally came off the bed with a crack. He yelped and put his finger in his mouth, trying to suck away the pain. Looking down to see if he had accomplished anything, he noticed that he had actually caused a bit of the bed to splinter off. It was only a small piece but it was about a hands width long and tapered to a point, when he tried to bend it there was very little give in the hard wood.

"Would this work?" Iatus asked of Libby and put the piece of wood between the bars.

Libby looked at it for a little while, gave it a little bend and then nodded approvingly, "Only one way to find out."

Iatus looked on hopefully as Libby put the piece of wood in the lock and began jiggling. A few seconds later the lock gave a clunk and Libby pushed the door open. The two boys smiled at each other and Libby jumped about a bit like a child about to receive a present.

"Quick, get my door open as well, before someone comes," Iatus said excitedly.

Libby quickly rushed over to Iatus' door and began picking away. Libby cursed several times but eventually the second door swung open and the boys stood together out of their prison.

"Right," Libby said, "up the stairs and out of the door, there aren't any guards about, I don't think, so we simply stroll out."

Iatus thought that sounded a little too easy but he couldn't think of anything better so he nodded.

They began to walk out but Iatus turned back for one last look at the girl, "Sure you won't come with us?"

She sighed and waved her hand at them, "He is a mage, you won't simply be able to stroll out of this place, believe me, this is the safest place to be."

Iatus gave a shrug and the boys went up the stairs, lifted the lock on the basement very carefully, not wanting to make a sound and crept out into the main corridor. The corridor was long and thin and dimly lit, with only a single candle illuminating the whole corridor and it was right at the end.

They made their way out cautiously, breathing as quietly as possible and trying to remember which way to turn in the dark. A shape was lounging in front of their exit, Iatus couldn't make out what it was, but it didn't look like a doormat.

"What's that, by the door?" Iatus whispered as quietly as he could.

"Shhh!" insisted Libby and Iatus went back to being as quiet as possible.

As they neared the shape, it became more defined and they could see that it was a cat, it was too dark to make out colour but they could see it was asleep and Libby gestured them forward.

Iatus frowned, he had never seen a cat around during the day, it can't have just appeared and the mage didn't strike him as being of a feline disposition.

An ear twitched and the boys stopped breathing, they could feel the fresh air coming in from the door and their heats pounded in their chests as they could literally taste freedom.

When they were within a few feet of the cat they pressed themselves flat against the wall, sliding against it, doing their best to avoid the statues that stuck out along their path.

They inched closer. When they were a few feet from the door one of the cat's eyes fluttered lazily open. It wasn't yellow like normal cats, but scarlet.

The cat sat up and looked at them, two scarlet eyes now burning into them, and yawned, smacking its mouth. The boys stood frozen in fear of what it might do, if it made a sound they were history. However it just looked at them, almost disapprovingly, like a parent looking at a naughty child. It picked up its front paw and gestured back the way they had come.

The two boys looked at it confused. Had it really just shooed them? Or was the dark playing tricks on them? They looked at each other and then shrugged, the cat wasn't impressed.

"Really? I was having such a nice nap. Go back to your cells little mice, or I'll have to eat you," the cat said irritably.

"You... can talk?" Libby asked dumbly.

The cat rolled its eyes.

"Yes, I'm a spirit, and a Jinni at that."

"How are you going to eat us when you're a cat?" Libby asked.

"I'm a jinni, as far as you're concerned, I can do anything I want, now let me get back to sleep."

"Okay... you go back to sleep and we'll just leave quietly," Libby said hopefully.

"Sorry mouse, I'm under orders, no-one leaves."

Iatus had been so transfixed on the cat he hadn't noticed Libby edging backwards.

"Well, we really want to leave so, bye..." Libby said and sprinted for the door.

"Fine, I guess I'll just have to eat you then..."

Libby grabbed the handle of the door and yanked. It wouldn't budge.

They turned back as a bright red light filled the room.

The cat was glowing a bright red, its eyes burning like torches, and it was growing.

The boys gasped and, with nowhere else to go, headed back towards the cells, pressing against the walls again.

"Okay, umm, we'll head back now, if that's okay..." said Iatus cautiously.

The cat turned with them, growing in size until it almost filled the hallway, sprouting spikes and giant fangs for good measure.

"Oh, it's too late for that, little mice, time to DIE!" it said and swiped a giant paw at Libby.

Libby just manage to duck out of the way and the two boys broke out into a run for the cells, no longer cared who heard them. The cat leaned towards them and breathed out a jet of fire that scorched Iatus' back, causing him to cry out in pain and shock.

Iatus couldn't believe how fast Libby could run, the boy shot away from him and dived down the stairs to the basement. Iatus just managed to reach them as the cat lunged at him, the great beast sliding down the corridor away from him, unable to adjust for his quick turn. When he ducked through the door at the bottom Libby slammed it shut, picked up the small stool and wedged it against the door.

"Well, that was a quick escape, how did it go by the way?" the girl asked ironically when she saw them.

"Will that hold? What do we do now?" Iatus exclaimed, ignoring the girl and Libby whirled around, looking for any option.

"The grate, it's our only chance."

"No way we fit through there!"

"We have to," Libby said, rushing to the grate and began pulling at it with all his might.

Iatus looked back at the door as a mighty crash reverberated through the room. The stool shattered but fortunately the leg just became more wedged under the door.

"What in Pluto was that?" the girl exclaimed, suddenly not so proud of herself.

"Giant cat monster," Iatus said between gritted teeth as he helped Libby with the grate, "This will never give, it's cemented in.

"The stone is old and crumbling, it'll give, just pull," Libby replied

Splinters cascaded out of the door as the monster gave another crash against it, just as the grate popped out and the boys fell backwards onto the floor. Iatus held out his hands and hoisted Libby up. He scrambled as fast as he could, squirming out of the hole and onto the street. He put his hands back down to Iatus and the door gave way behind them.

Iatus scrambled as hard as he could but as soon as he got his head out into the cool, fresh, night air he felt something clamp down around his waist and tear him away.

"RUN!" he screamed at Libby and the boy didn't need telling twice, his grubby face disappearing from view.

This is it, I'm going to die in the jaws of a giant cat monster.

He was tossed roughly into the air and landed on his chest, hard, knocking the wind from him. He shrunk into a protective ball and waited for the killing blow.

Clunk.

Iatus looked up and found himself back in his cell, the cat monster back to normal size and the old mage was turning the key in the lock.

The mage withdrew the key and looked down at him, "Well, that was almost impressive; no-one has ever escaped Luessa before, you should be proud for your friend. But alas, the guards will hunt him down in the morning, he knows our spells so unfortunately he will have to be executed on sight. But that isn't your problem, now get some sleep."

The mage wondered up the stairs, his nightgown trailing behind him and the cat close at his heels.

He sat up and crawled onto his bed, hurting all over.

Concern evident in her expression, the girl asked, "Are you all right?"

"No," Iatus whimpered, and tried to roll into a more comfortable position but he had bruises along both sides from the cat's maw.

"Well, I'm sure you will summon your demon tomorrow," she said sympathetically.

Iatus snorted, "Yeah, like a nobody like me will have any power, they are just going to have to string me up."

"Don't be like that, you can't give up hope, not yet."

"Who was it that was saying just yesterday that we should just accept that we are going to die?" Iatus spat back.

She bit her lip but said nothing.

Life is just unfair, the nobles have it all, power, money, houses, food. What I wouldn't give to be like them. Damn that judge, I hope he suffers in the afterlife.

Iatus looked up at the grate, still open to the street, so near yet impossibly far away.

I hope Libby makes it okay, he smiled as he thought of his friend, well, maybe, the boy had scampered off rather sharpish but Iatus couldn't bring himself to blame him and he wondered what he would have done in his place.

He sighed and closed his eyes, tomorrow he would have little chance as it is, without making it harder on himself through lack of sleep.