Page 63 of Kings and Monsters

"Are you ever going to let that go? It made us win the siege though, didn't it?" Merlin said. "It was one of my better ideas."

"I'm not arguing that it worked. I just don't want to repeat the experience."

"Shh! Keep your voices down," Fintan snapped. "We are getting closer to the entrance, and we don't know who might be down here. No, it's not a sewer. It's—" Before he could finish, the smell hit Merlin, and he knew.

"Bodies," he finished. "What is this place, Fintan?"

"You'll see."

They were quiet then, Merlin's anger growing hotter the stronger the smell became. There was something tired and sad in Fintan's tone, which meant he wasn't going to enjoy the route that the knight had chosen. Fintan whispered a command, and the torch went out.

"Wait here a moment," he said. "I'll make sure there is no one around." He disappeared around a bend, and they waited tensely.

"Rats in a drain," Merlin muttered. If Fintan decided to turn on them now, they would be stuck. Fintan's golden head appeared within moments.

"We are clear," he whispered.

Merlin hurried towards him, eager to get out of the tunnel, but once he did, a part of him wished he could turn around and climb back in.

"Sweet Jesus," Arthur said beside him. They were in a huge circular, cavernous space, levels of cells spiraling upwards, and in the center was a huge open pit of rotting corpses.

"Are they all Unseelie?" Daesyn asked. "What is this place?"

"These are the queen's cells for the Unseelie," Fintan explained. "She designed it so the prisoners, if they looked out of the cells, could only see the pit beneath them…" He kept talking, but Merlin had stopped hearing him, the roar of blood, fury, and magic in his ears drowning out all other sounds. Arthur was yelling, but Merlin ignored him. Daesyn went to touch him, but Arthur pulled him back and barked a warning.

Merlin walked to the edge of the pit, his eyes turning upward to the levels above him. He raised his arms and power rushed out of him. There was a deafening shriek of metals as the cell doors blasted off one at a time.

"You and your men will get our people out of here," Merlin said, his eyes flickered towards the tunnel. There was a rumble in the earth as his power shot down it, widening it and blasting off the gate at the other end.

"We can send some of the men to do it," Daesyn argued, his face white.

"No. You need to get out of here too. Rejoin Bleddyn if you feel like you still need to fight, but you will leave now," Merlin commanded.

"I can help?—"

"Do I look like I need any help?"

"We are still going to need the Seelie," Arthur replied. "Let him and Daesyn stay. I'll need men watching our flanks."

"You get to be responsible for them then," Merlin growled. "Now get these people in the tunnel before I really lose my temper."

Groups of starved and frightened Unseelie were already moving out of their cells, shuffling down the walkways as Daesyn's men hurried to carry the wounded faeries. There was a cry of alarm as ten Seelie guards came through another gateway to see the prisoners escaping.

Merlin reached out and flicked his power towards them. Blood poured out from under their helms, and one by one, they crumpled to the ground.

"Hurry up," Arthur called to Daesyn. "He's not going to be able to hold it together much longer."

Merlin threw his awareness up into the cells, feeling out if there was anyone remaining, moving slowly through every level to ensure there was no one being left behind.

"This's the last of them," Daesyn said, and he and Fintan gave the prisoners over to the care of the Unseelie warriors.

Merlin rested a hand on the top of the tunnel mouth, and the earth and rock rolled in, sealing the entrance off. Fintan and Daesyn moved nervously beside Arthur.

"What in the gods…" Fintan whispered before Merlin lost control.

An inferno rushed out of his hands, the pit beneath them igniting in seconds. Fire streaked up the levels, exploding from every jail cell.

Merlin walked towards the dead Seelie guards, stepping over them as he moved through another tunnel. He stretched out his magic, feeling out for the only thing he wanted. They came to another level of jail cells, and Seelie warriors rushed them at all sides.

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