Master Shen pointed at the wall. A lance of golden energy shot out and he cut a circle in the wood. The disk fell into the snow outside with a dull thump. Jen glanced back at Talon who stood just inside the doorway. He shook his head. No reaction from the torturers.

Jen hurried over and crouched beside him. “Fetch the others. We’re getting these people out of here.”

“With pleasure.”

Talon eased out onto the catwalk and Jen went back to join Master Shen. “You’ve regained your power.”

“I never lost it.” He spoke in the same low tone. “I just couldn’t focus enough to use it. I’m eager to hear how you found me, but this isn’t the time.”

Jen seconded that. He conjured keys for the other cells and unlocked them. The rest of her squad arrived a moment later. “Get ’em out of here,” she said.

Rhys went in the first cell and helped people to their feet. Alec helped them to the door and Talon and Edward guided them out the hole in the wall. The prisoners staggered and shuffled down the hall. This was taking too long. Jen gritted her teeth and kept quiet. They could only move as fast as they could move.

They emptied the first cell. It held ten of the sickest, scrawniest looking people she’d ever seen. While Talon half-carried the last prisoner out into the alley Rhys moved on to the second cell.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The servant from the Santen’s villa floated at the entrance to the cell block. Power sent her short hair flying every which way. She’d traded her servant’s outfit for an equally short black dress. Like Mariela said, her feet were bare.

“You!” Master Shen sent a blast of raw soul force down the hall, barely missing Jen, and sending the enemy sorcerer hurtling back into the far wall. He raced after her and explosions followed a moment later.

Jen grimaced. This was getting out of hand fast. She grabbed Edward as he passed. “I don’t care if you have to carry them, but we need to speed this up. If we don’t hurry, those two will bring this dump down on our heads. Spread the word.”

A crash sounded from upstairs and shattered boards rained down into the pit. Come on, Master, fight her in the air, away from the building. A bald, broad-shouldered gang member with black fire burning in his eyes leapt up onto the catwalk. He carried a four-foot-long double-bitted ax and was running toward Jen.

She drew her sword and forgot all about the dueling sorcerers.

Jen met her opponent at the doorway. She had to keep him out of the cell block. He swung the broad-bladed ax with all his might. Jen hopped back. The ax tore a two-foot chunk out of the doorway.

She lunged, hoping to finish him before he recovered.

Somehow the man batted her attack aside with the haft of his ax.

Jen recovered and blocked his back cut.

This guy moved every bit as fast as the other bunch they’d fought.

She slashed high, low, high. He blocked every attack. Jen repeated the series with the same result, a lot of noise and no blood.

Her sword went high then low again.

The thug raised his ax, anticipating her high slash. Just as she’d hoped.

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Jen spun and cut low again. Soul-forged steel sliced through the flesh of his thigh, taking the unfortunate man’s leg off above the knee. Jen kicked him in the chest. He flew over the edge down into the pit.

She walked to the railing and leaned over. Like rats fleeing a sinking ship the thugs rushed down a hole in the floor. Jen leapt over the rail. Maybe she could capture a couple of them.

Two rushed her, short swords drawn. They lacked the black flames and she cut them down in seconds. Those seconds proved expensive. The door to the secret passage swung shut and a lock engaged. She stomped on it, but the thick metal lid didn’t budge.

“Damn it!”

She could do nothing about the escaping thugs so Jen turned her attention to the bound and bleeding prisoners. She sheathed her sword and grabbed a fallen knife. An emaciated man flinched at her approach.

Jen cut his hand free. “Easy, I’m here to help.”

She freed the second hand and he slumped against her. “Heaven bless you, girl.” He gasped the words out like it took the last of his strength.

Edward landed beside her and took the unconscious man out of her arms. Another blast shook the building. It sounded farther away. Maybe Master Shen realized he was about to collapse the place on them.

Jen moved on to the next victim. It took her team two minutes to free all twelve prisoners and carry them up and out of the pit. Jen paused as Rhys carried the last woman up the iron steps. The black disk on the ceiling shimmered like water and a drop of darkness fell into the bowl.

Jen grimaced and kicked it over. The nasty stuff oozed across the floor, sizzling and burning stone. She shuddered. What could they use that crud for?

Maybe she didn’t want to know. Jen leapt up to the catwalk and followed Rhys out the hole in the wall. Above them streaks of energy lit the sky. She couldn’t tell who was winning.

“Did we get everybody?” Talon asked.

“All the prisoners, but some of the gang escaped.” Not a perfect victory, but when she looked at the huddled figures shivering in the snow Jen figured maybe it was close enough. “Let’s take these people somewhere warm.”

An explosion shook the night and Master Shen fell from the sky. Jen leapt and caught him eight feet from the ground. They landed close to the hole he’d cut in the wall. “You hurt?”

He grunted and looked up. Jen followed his gaze. Hovering above them, an armored figure sat astride a black horse with glowing red eyes and flames around its feet and tail. The knight wore a great sword strapped to his back and a full helm shaped like a leering demon that hid his face. Inscribed on his breastplate was a huge, horned skull.

Beside him the sorcerer floated, a little pout on her pixie face. “You spoiled my fun, Mikhail.”

Mikhail!

This was the missing Santen heir?

“Don’t call me that!” Mikhail said. “Mikhail Santen is dead. I am Sir Darkness, a demon knight.”

The sorcerer grimaced. “I am not calling you Sir Darkness, Mikhail, or anything equally pretentious.”

Black flames gathered around his bare hands. “You dare question my commands?”

Jen hoped they’d kill each other and save her a lot of work, but the sorcerer raised her hands. “Of course not, my lord. Hey, how about that? ‘My lord’ would be a good thing to call you.”

He nodded once and the flames vanished. “It will do.”

“Hey!” Jen shouted. “Where’s your father?”

Mikhail turned his attention to her and a chill ran through Jen. His eyes were pits of fire. “Dead. I cut his heart out and his blood fueled my ascension to greatness. I’ll never again have to listen to his prattle about obedience and following the rules. I make the rules now.”

His gaze shifted. “I wondered what became of those.” He held out his bare hands and the gauntlets on Talon’s belt flew up and slid over them. He flexed his fingers. “Now die, worms.”

A black ball of crackling energy formed in the air in front of him.

Jen grabbed Master Shen and ran back to the others.

The sphere shot toward the alley. Master Shen raised a golden barrier.

White snow and black energy washed over them. Jen braced the slender sorcerer.

The assault lasted only moments. When the snow settled, all that remained of the Unkindness’s base was a smoking crater. Master Shen slumped in her arms and his barrier vanished.

Jen eased him to the ground. “Everybody okay?”

Her squad all indicated that they were, even the prisoners survived the attack. Jen studied the sky. No sign of the sorcerer or Mikhail, thank heaven.

Master Shen groaned and sat up. Jen helped him to his feet. He wobbled, but stayed upright. “Are you all right, Master?”

He nodded. “Some of the corruption penetrated my shield. It would have been unpleasant if I was in peak condition. As I am now it stunned me. Is everyone safe?”

“Yes, you did it.”

“Good.” He turned toward the smoking crater. “It’s a good thing we were only on the edge of the blast. If his aim had been better…”

“I have a lot of questions, Master Shen.”

He smiled and patted her shoulder. “I’m sure. I have my share as well, but they’ll all keep until we reach somewhere warm.”