Page 63 of Broken Fate
“Here,” Tinya said, pointing up at a grate. “The dungeons. But be warned, there’s a guard outpost between you and the cells. There’s no sneaking around them.”
Kiel nodded tightly. “Then we’ll go through them.”
Tinya’s mouth flattened. She didn’t like that idea.
“Thank you for everything,” Kiel told her, holding the woman by the shoulders. “Now, go. You’ve done enough.”
“Good luck,” Tinya said, tapping him on the arm. “To all of you, good luck.”
I nodded as she shuffled past. “Thank you.”
“Don’t,” she said. “You’re gonna need it.”
Then she was gone, disappearing back up the tunnels, making her way out.
“How reassuring,” Andi muttered.
“Silence,” Kiel hissed, studying the grate.
I hunkered down next to Andi while Praksis and Flak gave Kiel their shoulders.
“I almost want to make a bet on whether he falls or not,” I said into Andi’s ear, prompting a shake of silent laughter.
The sewers were a refreshing change after the crates of dragon crap, but that didn’t mean they werepleasant. They were flat, angled slightly down toward the harbor. When the frequent rains washed over the city, all the excrement was washed out to sea.
Between rains, however, it was left to dry out. The buckets that were dropped contained a mixture of liquid and solids, and the liquids often sat on the uneven surface of the sewer bottom, creating a coating of … sludge that stuck to everything, including Kiel’s feet as he balanced on the shoulders of the others.
Andi leaned in to whisper something back, but her head kept twisting, a shock running down her body as the faint scraping of something against rock filtered down the tunnel.
Patrol!
In a flash, we got to our feet, signaling to Kiel that guards were coming. Then, making a snap decision, Kiel lifted the grate up and out of the way and hauled himself through the opening without knowing what was on the other side.
Clive also didn’t wait. He darted for the opening. Praksis and Flak cupped their hands, and as Clive reached them, he stepped up and was boosted through the opening. Andi followed suit.
Then, it was my turn. I placed my foot in Praksis’ waiting hold, and a moment later, I was in the air, landing somewhat gracefully on the stony palace hallway floor, leaving a nice muddy shit streak.
Seconds later, Flak hauled himself up, then he and Clive reached down to grab Praksis’ hands as he jumped for them. They lowered the grate as silently as possible, and we waited breathlessly as the patrol passed underneath.
“Come on,” Kiel urged. “We haven’t been spotted, but that won’t last.”
The corridor we’d emerged into was thankfully empty, but he was right. A guard could come around the corner any second and send up an alert. The closer we could get to the dungeons before that happened—where we could only hope Gralk was being held—the better our chances of success.
We moved as swiftly as we could without sacrificing stealth. We had no weapons. The guards would likely be armored. Surprise was the only thing we had going on our side, and we needed to make the most of it.
Kiel rounded the corner, and despite the alarmed shout that came a second later, none of us slowed down. We charged into the guards. Kiel and Clive, who led, bowled them over, taking full advantage of the shock attack.
Praksis and Andi followed, sweeping the flanks.
Next to me, Flak grabbed the weapon of the nearest downed guard and slit his throat before he could recover.
“Don’t get shy now,” he snarled as I hesitated, the nearest guard already getting to his feet. “If you do, we die.”
I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldnotbe the cause of Clive or Andi dying. I wouldnot!
With a yell, I leaped at the rising guard, slamming him into the ground, his helmeted head bashing off the ground. I pulled the piece of armor off his skull, raising it above my head and slamming it down as hard as I could into his face.
The heavy metal mashed his features in. After a second blow, the guard went limp. I picked up his sword, gripping it awkwardly in both hands, and rammed it as hard as I could at the next closest guard.
