While Lodo stood guard over Gratiano, Sam followed Meg to the nearest door. The barrier spell on it glowed so bright her eyes watered.
"So how are we gonna break this?" she asked Meg. "Is there a spell or something?"
Meg frowned at the barrier. "I think the principle should be the same as breaking into an arena. Overpower the barrier with your Levia, your force of will. But since this is weaker than an arena spell, it shouldn't take as much Levia."
With that, she put her hand on top of the barrier. A tremor ran through her arm, but she clenched her teeth and pressed harder.
So Sam did the same. When her fingers brushed the red-hot metal, she almost flinched away. No, she wasn't going to let a little heat stop her. Meg was enduring it, so she would too.
Easier said than done when the barrier's Levia blasted her face like a burning wind. 'Well, I have Levia too.' Closing her eyes, she reached for the mint green light. Its cool energy rushed through her veins, giving her relief from the heat.
It wasn't just her Levia, either. Scarlet light pushed at the barrier too, burning even brighter than its orange glow.
Beneath the combined assault, the barrier didn't stand a chance. With a faint crackle, like glass shattering in another room, it scattered in sparks of orange light.
Just like that, Sam's palm pressed against cold metal. The sudden chill made her jump back in surprise.
But it didn't shock her half as much as when dozens of eye-searingly orange spells exploded across the ceiling. They flashed like strobe lights, too fast for her to make out any details, but she realized what they must be when a hair-raising screech flooded the hall.
"Shit, we don't have much time." Meg fumbled with the keys in her hand. "Shit!" as another one refused to fit in the lock. "Come on, how many of these can there be...."
Behind them, Darian lifted her rapier, and Lodo stiffened with claws extended. Sam's heart raced as Meg tried another key. If only she could do something, but those were the only keys they had.
A click came beneath the shrieking alarm. The key sank into the lock, making Meg jolt. Grinning savagely, she twisted it
With a loud scrape of metal on stone, the door popped open.
Sam helped Meg and Darian push it wide open. As the orange light from the alarms spilled into the cell, the prisoners cringed back.
The cell was long and narrow. Squinting, Sam picked out about a half dozen prisoners slumped on the floor, chained to the walls by manacles on their ankles.
"Sam!" Darian rushed forward, rapier at ready.
That was her signal. Sam cast a basic strengthening spell and mint green light bloomed around Darian, cutting through the flashing alarms.
Darian's rapier flashed. With a clatter, the chain on the nearest prisoner snapped in half. He pressed his back against the wall, staring suspiciously at Darian.
"We're here to free you," Darian said.
"Free us," the prisoner said, low and hoarse. From what Sam could tell, he was a burly nephilim with long dark hair and craggy features.
"That's right. Those who are willing to fight, join us. With our numbers, we should be able to overwhelm their defenses."
"And why should we trust you?" the man asked, still suspicious.
"I'm Prince Darian of Miria." Darian lifted her head, stern and proud.
But this man wouldn't be persuaded so easily. "That means nothing to me."
All right, Sam couldn't hold it any longer. "Who cares if it does?" she yelled, darting in front of Darian. "Don't you guys wanna get outta here? Well, we're gonna help you, so come on!"
The man blinked dark eyes. "You...are a wizard?"
"Duh, we couldn't get in here if we weren't!"
"Why would wizards want to help us?"
"'Cause those Ensons are shitheads! Come on!" Even shouting, she could barely hear her own voice above the wailing sirens. The longer they went on, the faster her heart pounded. They didn't have time to stand around and argue with stubborn prisoners.
Sure enough, Darian seemed to have figured that trying to convince this guy was a lost cause. Instead, she ran around the cell cutting other prisoners free. The rattle of breaking chains was like music to Sam's ears.
Slowly, the burly man stood up. He had to have almost two feet on her, which combined with his bulk, made Sam's lizard brain want to scramble for cover.
But she stood her ground and put on a big grin. "You look strong! I bet you'd be a great help."
The man continued gazing down at her, his face like stone. Sweat beaded on the back of Sam's neck.
Then the man lowered his head in a solemn nod. "Very well. It seems there's no other choice. My name is Ivo."
See, that wasn't so hard. Sam grinned wider. "Nice to meet you, Ivo. I'm Sam!"
Ivo nodded again before stomping out of the cell. That seemed to flip a switch in the other prisoners, who began to get up as well. Many of them looked dazed, like they'd been clubbed in the heads. Sam supposed she couldn't blame them.
Only two prisoners remained on the floor, huddled against the wall and holding each other tight. A boy and a girl, couldn't be older than eight. Which made Sam want to kill the Ensons all over again, as slowly and painfully as possible.
Then she noticed the horns poking out of the kids' hair. They were demons.
The demon children shrank back, glaring at Darian. Darian stared back at them.
When she spoke, her voice was so quiet Sam almost didn't hear it beneath the sirens. "I don't think you two are members of the Infernal Legion, are you?"
The demon children shook their heads.
Just like that, Darian relaxed. In the flashing lights, Sam couldn't quite tell, but she thought Darian might be smiling a little.
"Come along." Darian spun around and darted out of the cell. The children exchanged glances before helping each other to their feet and trotting after her.
Sam came fast on their heels, just in time to see Meg with her hand on another cell door. No fair, going ahead on her own!
Times like these, Sam was grateful for her long legs. She caught up in three strides and promptly began channeling her Levia too.
This time, it seemed a little easier to overpower the barrier. When it shattered, Sam winced, bracing herself for another round of alarms. But no new lights appeared and the siren kept blaring away at its current volume.
Well, all the better for her sanity. It took only two keys for this door to open, and the instant it did Sam had the strengthening spell ready.
So Darian freed the prisoners in a flash. At least these ones were easier to convince than Ivo, filing out of the cell without complaint. They all seemed to be nephilim of varying ages and genders, even including a stooped elderly woman.
Just when Sam thought she couldn't hate the Ensons enough. They wouldn't know decency if it kicked them in the balls.
Back in the hall, she heard a deep voice barking orders. Ivo waved his arms, directing two prisoners to take over Lodo's post guarding Gratiano. Lodo exchanged nods with the burly nephilim before running off to help Meg.
Sam grinned. Seemed like someone had settled right in.
Meanwhile Sam helped Meg open two more cells. After breaking the third barrier, a sudden dizzy spell made her stumble.
"Are you all right, Miss Sam?" Lodo asked, turning toward her.
Sam sucked in a deep breath. "Just fine."
Yeah, who cared if breaking the barriers took a little more Levia than expected? She still had plenty left. No time to complain.
Instead, she ought to get ready to cast the strengthening spell as soon as Meg opened the door. Which she was taking her sweet time with, not for a lack of trying. One key, then another, and another. Each miss made Sam antsier, and Meg wasn't much better. By the time she tried the last key, sweat slicked her entire face.
"What the hell?" When the final key refused to budge, Meg yanked it out of the lock. "What's going on?"
Loud footsteps from behind. Sam whirled around, heart jumping into her throat, only to see Ivo approaching. "No guard has the keys to every cell. It's a precaution."
"That makes sense." Meg glared at the key ring. "Speaking of guards, where are they?"
Sam had been wondering the same thing. The alarms had been screeching for the past ten minutes at least. You'd think they would have attracted some kind of attention by now.
"There are no guards on the first floor," Ivo said. "They believe the barriers are enough to hold in the weaker prisoners. Although it is strange that none have come from the second floor yet...." He frowned at the alarms flashing on the ceiling.
'Crash.'
The sound echoed through the hall, drowning out even the sirens. Not soon after, the smell of smoke stung Sam's nose.
What the hell? Heart slamming, Sam whirled around. Her eyes landed on the stairs – or rather, the man lying at their bottom.
He wore light armor, a curved sword fallen beside his head. A guard? As Sam came closer, she noticed the scorch mark on his breastplate, with smoke still drifting from it.
Before Sam could examine him any closer, someone jumped down the stairs. A person in red armor.
As two guards charged after her, she spun her spear in a circle that created a ring of flames around her. The guards lurched back, and she used the opening to swipe her spear at them.
One guard tumbled down the stairs, crashing to a thud on top of his already downed comrade. The other collapsed where he stood, a hole burned through his armor.
In a single powerful leap, the person in red armor jumped to the bottom of the stairs. When she straightened, her gaze landed directly on Sam.