Page 67 of The Sorcerer's Thief
Success! I tear the cuffs off Julian’s wrists. The skin beneath them is raw and oozing. Someone’s going to pay for that.
I set to work on his ankles. “You’re lucky I know how to pick locks.”
“Lucky doesn’t begin to cover it.” His words are back. Progress.
“What happened? How’d they catch you?” Keeping him talking is my real goal, but beyond that, I’m curious. Julian is the strongest sorcerer I know. That he’s also theonlysorcerer I know doesn’t matter. Chaining him couldn’t have been easy.
“It was easy.” He proves me wrong, as usual. “Too many mistakes. Overconfident. Didn’t watch my back.”
“You shouldn’t have to watch your back. We watch each other’s backs now.”
“You need to get you out of here.”
“We leave together.”
“If you get hurt because of me?—”
“Don’t finish that sentence. We’re going to be fine. The fire is keeping them out. Once I’ve got this unlocked, we’ll use the coin. It got me in. It can get me out.” I never told Julian how the coin saved me in the palace the night I stole it. “It’s helped me escape before.”
“From me. I remember.”
“And the palace guards before we met.” No matter how I twist my pick, the lock won’t give. I rotate to another, smaller pick and keep trying. “Can you help?”
“The metal is enchanted somehow. I can’t call my magic until I’m free.”
Great. No problem. I’ve got this. I cram both picks in at once and angle them sideways.
“Cricket.”
“Hang on.”
“Cricket.”
“I’ve almost got it.”
He’s pushing the coin into my hands, getting in my way. “Take this and go.”
I bat his hand aside.
“Now.” His voice is tinged with panic. “Cricket, now!”
Reluctantly, I glance up from my task. Julian’s face holds more terror than his voice could contain. He’s looking past me. I spin.
Two fae watch us from the doorway. My fire is gone. I call for it to come back, but nothing happens. In my mind, I plead,Little flame. Come grow for me. I need you now.
Nothing.
I’m about to resort to begging out loud when the smaller of the two men steps forward.
Clad in red and gold with gold eyes to match, he sneers at us and laughs. “Aww, she won’t listen to you anymore, will she?”
I need to buy us some time while I best this stupid lock. “Who are you? What are you talking about?”
“My name is Rune Vesper, and Fire ismygift, boy.Mine.” He raises his hands, and to my horror, both erupt in vicious red-orange flames. “How dare you attempt to use her against me? Against her true master?”
“Wait,” yells Julian. “Don’t hurt him. He has nothing to do with this.”
“Ooh, what power you hand over so easily, Julie,” says the other man with a familiarity in his voice that tweaks every jealous bone in my body. He places a hand on Rune’s wrist. “Youlikethe little mixling.”
