Page 68 of Of Flames and Crows

Roman took several deep inhales and exhales as the icy water gurgled around his neck. He went under, grasped the iron bars, and focused his magic on the metal.

It was nearly two minutes before he felt himself struggling for breath. He kicked up, found an air pocket in the ceiling, and exhaled and inhaled harshly before swimming down to the prison door once more. Something drew his gaze in the passage outside.

A faint, crimson light. It grew in intensity.

A shocked gurgle escaped Roman when a giant fox with nine tails came into view inside an immense bubble of red magic that almost filled the corridor.

Riding him was the woman he’d seen through Filomena.

Her pupils glowed scarlet, as did the orb blazing in her hand. Though her eyes resembled Barquiel’s in that moment, Roman did not fear her.

She signaled to him.

Roman nodded and kicked back to the opposite end of his cell.

Power brightened the woman’s pupils. A crimson aura detonated around her, causing the bubble to tremble and casting violent eddies in the water. The orb in her hand grew incandescent.

His heart stuttered as her spell bomb sailed through the sphere and shattered his prison door in a single strike. The woman touched the medallion against her chest and watched the mangled bars drift slowly down to the floor.

Roman’s eyes rounded when the pendant transformed into a vicious-looking, double-ended dagger. The weapon zoomed out of the bubble and headed to the cell opposite his. It sliced effortlessly through the metal grille, its blades glimmering red with power.

He glimpsed more shadowy figures inside crimson globes coming to rescue the other Fire Magic sorcerers and witches as he swam out of his cell. The witch reached out of the protective barrier, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him through.

Roman found himself levitating in the air pocket within the bubble. He gasped, water dripping off him and pooling at the base of the sphere.

“Are—are you Mae?!” he mumbled, unable to take his eyes off the woman in front of him.

She bobbed her head.

“Let’s save the chitchat for later,” she said briskly. “We have more important matters to deal with right now. Oscar and Barquiel will soon be headed this way.”

Fear tightened Roman’s chest.

Mae’s face softened when she saw the wounds on his hands and his shoulder. “We’ll take care of those later too.”

She guided the bubble out of the flooded prison and up the stairs. Her allies followed, the Fire Magic users they’d rescued safe within their own spheres.

A faint glow appeared above them when they emerged into the main dungeon area. They started to ascend.

Mae and the fox stiffened a moment later, their gazes swinging in tandem to stare to their left. Roman followed their lead and peered into the murky currents. His eyes rounded.

Barquiel was coming for them.

Horror filled Roman as he beheld the demon’s true appearance.

CHAPTER29

A boltof black lightning left the winged monster’s giant sword. It zipped through the water and smashed into the red bubble. A second and a third bolt followed rapidly.

A faint crack appeared in the crimson barrier.

Water started dripping through it.

“Shit!” Mae cursed. “Looks like we need to get out of this shield to fight him!”

Roman startled when the fox spoke.

“What about the kid?” the beast rumbled.

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