Page 85 of Celestial Bodies

The prisoners started screeching, hopping up and down, and gnashing their teeth as their outstretched arms reached for the group.

“It’s Morab’s council,” Julen yelled. “Souzie!”

Klorin, Julen, and Dacias rushed to her as she fell to the ground, sobbing.

Julen knelt beside Souzie and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll free him! I can do it—like I did for them…” He motioned to the creatures.

Julen stood and clenched his hand. An amethyst orb appeared, and he launched it through the bars at Souzie’s father.

It hit his chest and began to spin, and her father howled as the orb released lightning and then sucked the dark magic from his body. Once finished, theorb sailed back to Julen, and he absorbed it.

He hissed in pain, and Dacias rushed to him. “What is it?”

Julen looked uneasy as he pressed a hand to his abdomen. “It’s different this time. The sensation of absorbing the magic was painful. It wasn’t like that when I freed the Caligoneans.”

Souzie’s father looked back at them with clear eyes, but his mouth trembled and was unable to form words. The fear on his face broke Dacias’s heart.

In tears, Souzie approached the cell. “Father. It’s me. It’s Souzie. Do you see me?”

Her father didn’t respond. His eyes stared off into the distance, out of focus and not fixed on anything in the crypt. He watched something the rest of them couldn’t see while murmuring gibberish. His fingers tapped against his legs, almost as if he were sending a code or signal.

Souzie spoke through the sob that escaped her mouth. “Please, daddy. Look at me.”

Her father continued his pitiful stammering, looking at nothing and tapping his sides. Souzie sank to the ground again. Julen and Klorin ran to her, and she curled into Klorin’s lap, burying her head into his chest.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Klorin whispered.

Julen rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Souzie, I promise I will kill my father for what he’s done to you.”

41

Chapter 40

Julen

Julen seethed as he watched Souzie’s heart break. He had to find Haligran. He had to make that man suffer for all he’d done to her. Anjular stepped forward.“There may be a way we can help him.”

Julen’s gaze shot up at her. “How?”

“My mother is a healer. That’s her gift. Her blood can cure fae who are injured, sick, or dying. I know she’s never healed a human, but we could try.”

Souzie jumped up and rushed to Anjular. “Really? You think she would do that?”

Anjular caressed Souzie’s arms. “She’d be willing to try. We could bring him to Caligon.” She then motioned toward the other prisoners, whose mania had died down. “We could take them all after Julen has drained them of the evil magic. ”

Souzie turned her gaze toward her friends. “I have to go to Caligon. If we can get out of here.”

“I’m coming too,” Klorin said as he rushed to hold Souzie.

Julen turned to Dacias, who took Julen’s hand and embraced him. “We’ll all go.”

Iacuora slithered toward them. “Lovely, but we’re still trapped in this hellhole. We need a plan. Haligran has had enough time to alert the guardians that we’ve escaped. No doubt, they’re ready to ambush us at every exit.”

Anjular put up her hand to silence the group. “Let me focus for a moment.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her arms wrapped around her, and she tugged at her gown. “Haligran is gone. He’s fled. Carnufor stayed to lead the guardians in their quest to capture us. They’ve gathered in the prison yard.”

“Can we use another exit?” Klorin asked.

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