《A Clan of Deathly Bonds》 1. Seran Kalay and I sighed in unison over our breakfast as the deep ringing sound from the city bell tower reached our house, even on the outskirts. Time for another day of work. Another day of lying to the world. Kalay rushed to change and fix his hair, then we set out into the light glaring from the dry, pale red earth. We immediately flipped up our linen cloaks¡¯ hoods to shield us from the sun. Maybe the kur could withstand its rays, but we would burn quickly, especially my pasty skin. We passed several reddish beige clay houses, almost identical and boring, along the winding cobblestone streets on the way to work. I earned several glances and poorly concealed whispers, but I maintained my pace even though I craved to run. Stay calm. Don¡¯t look. Walk slow. Don¡¯t raise suspicion. Lord Ledda Arenda¡¯s manor was flat roofed like any other house, but built out of blinding white stone with three stories instead of two, and surrounded by a matching stone wall only interrupted by a narrow barred iron gate. I grimaced at its opulence, a massive, glaring reminder of who mattered¡ªand who didn¡¯t. Since that day six years ago, I was on the side that didn¡¯t matter. One of the guards at the gate smirked as we got close. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Marabis. Running late as usual?¡± I shot Kalay a raised eyebrow, but he just scowled at the guard. ¡°Open up,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Right, right.¡± The guard unlocked the gate and swung it open. ¡°Oh, and Seran, there¡¯s a servant waiting for you with a request from Lord Arenda. Better get to it.¡± I nodded silently while Kalay glared at the man for daring to order me around. Then we hurried down the path through the courtyard¡¯s overflowing flower garden. How much water did it take to keep all this alive? What a waste for something that couldn¡¯t be eaten or used in potions. Kalay and I parted ways just inside the manor¡¯s entrance, and I made my way down the hallways lined with plush red carpet, relieving some of the pressure on my feet. I needed new shoes before I wore holes into mine. Ninau Aiti, the kur girl, leaned against the wall outside the apothecary¡¯s office, wearing the manor¡¯s servant uniform, a simple white robe that failed to hide her curves. A leather cord necklace was tucked underneath her robe, always hidden but never left at home. I never bothered to ask about it. Black tattoos weaved their way from her cheekbones, around her eyes, to her temples, where large black horns sprouted, curling up and back behind her rounded ears. Her horns and long, wavy black hair matched her dark eyes, which flashed with annoyance when they turned on me. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. She gestured to my office door and followed me in. ¡°Lord Arenda requested a potion,¡± she said, shutting the door behind her. ¡°For¡­ issues in the bedroom. The lord and lady are trying for another child, so he says it¡¯s urgent.¡± Another child? They already had nine. ¡°I¡¯ll get started.¡± Ninau didn¡¯t move. ¡°Was there anything else?¡± I asked. She smiled. ¡°I was told to wait until you¡¯re done.¡± So, I¡¯d have an audience. Great. I held back a sigh and started gathering ingredients. A few dried herbs, water from the faucet, pestle and mortar, and a hinged double-sided sieve. I started the water boiling over the stove in the corner, then ground the herbs in the pestle and poured them into the tightly meshed sieve, clamping it shut. I poured hot water into a bowl, then dunked the sieve into it and leaned against the counter. I glanced around at my small, cramped office, with its shelves full of ingredient jars and the wooden counter wrapping around the room. Was there anything I was running low on? I scanned each jar until my eyes fell on Ninau again. She tapped on the counter near the door, still watching me. ¡°We have to wait,¡± I said. ¡°I see that.¡± Several minutes passed with Ninau tapping her fingers and staring me down, while I wrote a list of ingredients I needed refilled and did my best to ignore her. She didn¡¯t seem to understand the concept of politeness. Or patience. I pressed my fingers to the side of the bowl, which had cooled to the stuffy room temperature. Cool enough. I plucked the sieve out, dropped a funnel into the mouth of a vial, poured the potion in, and stopped the vial with a small cork. It would be bitter, but it would do the trick. ¡°Here.¡± I handed it to Ninau, who snatched it and left without another word. One by one, I started working through the day¡¯s list of potion, balm, and cream requests for illnesses, injuries, headaches, issues of the mind, and other more personal problems like the lord¡¯s. I was barely into the list when Ninau stormed back into the office, banging the door against the edge of the counter. ¡°Lord Arenda refused this,¡± she said, holding out the vial which was still almost full. ¡°He says it¡¯s too disgusting. He wants something that¡¯s actually pal¡­ pala¡­ something he can actually drink. Like right now.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the girl but took the vial back, setting it aside for now. Too disgusting, huh? In that case¡­ ¡°Can you get a glass of wine from the kitchens?¡± ¡°Just a glass?¡± ¡°Yes, just a glass.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± While she was gone, I got back to work on the day¡¯s list, managing to get through a couple more potions before she came back with the wine. Then I dumped two-thirds of the lord¡¯s potion into the sink and refilled the vial with wine. I swirled it together and handed it over. What the lord wanted, he got. Ninau eyed it skeptically but shrugged and left without questioning me. My stomach had settled, so I downed the rest of the wine myself and got back to work, until the kur girl returned again with a grin and an empty vial this time. ¡°Lord Arenda sends his compliments,¡± she said, giving the vial back. ¡°This might be a daily request for a while.¡± She chuckled and left again. Finally, I could have some peace and quiet. 2. Kalay Melting in my guard¡¯s uniform, I followed Lady Arenda, a spindly woman with graying hair, through the manor¡¯s hallways and the courtyard gardens. I cringed listening to her gossip with her pack of bootlicking friends, but this was better than earlier when I had to stand outside the lord and lady¡¯s bedroom door and listen to them fucking loudly. By the Maker, what kind of potion did Seran make them? ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Lady Arenda was saying. ¡°That kur girl¡­ Nina? She¡¯s stopped by my husband¡¯s office so many times today that I¡¯m starting to wonder if she¡¯s trying to seduce him.¡± Her friends laughed, but I scowled. Ninau wanted nothing of the sort, I could have guaranteed that. Not with that crinkled, flabby old man. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m getting tired of seeing her face, along with¡­ the rest of her,¡± the lady continued. ¡°I may have to find a replacement.¡± ¡°Oh, you should,¡± one of her friends said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could tolerate the little whore hovering around my husband.¡± Demons take these women. Lady Arenda cackled. ¡°That¡¯s precisely what she is! I¡¯ll have to convince Ledda to let her go.¡± She must have noticed my expression out of the corner of her eye, and she glanced back over her shoulder. ¡°Why the long face, Kalay? I swear, I need to keep you around more often. One look at you, and anyone unsavory would run for the mountains.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s not bad to look at for us, either,¡± a friend said, only pretending to try to keep me from hearing. The women burst into laughter and went back to ignoring my existence. In the late afternoon, I changed out of my uniform in the barracks, then stopped by the servants¡¯ quarters in the basement. Several kur girls and women hurried past me with frightened looks, but I wasn¡¯t here for them, and absolutely not for what they thought. Ninau stepped out onto the the bare stone of the basement¡¯s hallway, wearing her own sleeveless top and straight knee-length skirt, and she tilted her head at me with a smirk. ¡°Paying me a special visit? What will your sister think?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my sister, and she can think whatever she wants. I¡¯m not worried about her.¡± Her smile widened, with her head still tilted. ¡°But you¡¯re worried about me?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I sighed sharply. ¡°Lady Arenda is planning to get rid of you.¡± She giggled and flicked her dark hair behind her shoulder. ¡°She can try. I¡¯m pretty sure the lord is fond of me. Or at least the idea of me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to picture what she meant. If Lord Arenda ever touched Ninau, I¡¯d¡ª do nothing. There would be nothing I could do, but there would be plenty of things I¡¯d want to. Ninau was no Seran, but she was the only kur servant who wasn¡¯t afraid of me. She was the only person other than Seran in the whole damn city who bothered to know me. She read my expression and patted me on the shoulder as she started walking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Kalay. I can take care of myself.¡± I matched her pace but said nothing. Like me, I wasn¡¯t sure there was anything she could do if the lord decided to take what he wanted. If she fought back, she would just be killed, and no one would bat an eye. I needed to stop with these thoughts. ¡°What did Lady Arenda say about me, anyway?¡± Ninau asked. I didn¡¯t want to repeat it, but this woman could handle it. ¡°She called you a whore.¡± She stared at me for a second then laughed. ¡°Oh, by your Maker, she¡¯s just so stupid.¡± I snorted. Ninau was brave to say that out loud, but she wasn¡¯t wrong. We stopped at the base of the stairs leading back up to the main floor. ¡°You¡¯d better go ahead,¡± Ninau said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you to be spotted with the whore.¡± I shook my head but took the stairs two at a time without her, then headed for Seran¡¯s office. My ¡°sister¡± turned to greet me when I stepped into the room, and my heart beat just a little faster. With her blond hair and green eyes, she stood out in this city of beiges and browns, whether she liked it or not. Without her cloak to hide behind, her gray dress hugged her voluptuous shape, and her thin lips parted into a wide smile that lit up her round, freckled face, beautiful even if no one else seemed to notice. ¡°How was your day?¡± she asked. I thought of everything I¡¯d overheard. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Hm. So was mine.¡± ¡°What kind of potion did you give the lord?¡± She covered her mouth as she laughed, the sound raising goosebumps along my arms. ¡°He¡¯s been having trouble getting it up, I guess.¡± I groaned. That explained it. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Seran hooked her arm in mine, and if I was as pale as her, she might have noticed the red in my face. ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± she asked. Her stomach rumbled, and she blushed adorably. I took a moment to think of what we even had. ¡°Eggs and lentils,¡± I said. ¡°With garlic.¡± ¡°What? Garlic?¡± ¡°I bought some.¡± ¡°How much did that cost?¡± she demanded. ¡°I earned more than enough from the last tournament to pay for it.¡± ¡°You only made it to the semi-finals.¡± ¡°Ouch. Semi-finals still pay, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not joking? You really bought garlic?¡± ¡°I really did.¡± Seran grinned so brightly, I almost couldn¡¯t breathe. We walked the rest of the way in silence until we came back to our house, ordinary as all the others except for Seran¡¯s little herb garden lining the front wall on either side of the door. We made dinner, though she did most of the work, and I smiled as she devoured even more than I did. I¡¯d train even harder to win the next tournament, for more of that garlic. 3. Ninau I walked down Penad¡¯s narrowing streets toward my shitty little house in the slums, but with an extra spring in my step. Along the way, an older kur man fell in step beside me, and I smiled at him. ¡°How goes your project?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s coming along just fine,¡± I said. ¡°The flowers are starting to bloom. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be in full bloom before long.¡± He smiled back at me. ¡°It sounds like you have everything under control, then. Good luck.¡± He turned down another street and disappeared around a corner. I couldn¡¯t wait to see these ¡°flowers¡± bloom so I could go home for a while. Of course, then I¡¯d just have to go plant them somewhere else. That was just how it was. Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me to the side into an alley, then shoved me to the cobblestones. My hands and bare arms and knees stung from several scrapes and shallow cuts, but I sprang to my feet. My attacker pushed me face first into a wall before I could fight back. ¡°Look at you,¡± he said. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you around before? I know I would have noticed.¡± He pressed his body against mine, his cock against my rear. I struggled to get out of his grip, but he just ground against me, grunting like one of the lord¡¯s hogs. He licked my neck, then bit down, drawing blood. I jerked my elbow back, but he caught my arm and pinned it against the wall. An elf couple passed by the mouth of the alley, spotting me, but hurried away. Demons take them. Another man cleared his throat to my other side where I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Hey, mind your own business,¡± my attacker said. Metal scraped against a scabbard, and my attacker backed off. ¡°Okay! She¡¯s all yours.¡± I turned as the man ran off. I faced the other. He was an elf with his hood drawn up, and he sheathed his sword. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, though I took a step back as he stepped closer. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take payment for saving you. Maybe that necklace. You must keep it hidden for a reason. Either that, or I¡¯ll take what he would have.¡± He towered over me and brushed his fingers along my cheek. Goosebumps prickled up like I¡¯d been dunked in ice. Ket¡¯s low voice grumbled in my head. ¡°You¡¯re just going to let him take me?¡± I glared at the man but didn¡¯t move, and he reached his hands behind my neck to lift my papa¡¯s necklace over my head. He smiled as he looked over the deep green stone, carved into a pointed swirl, then pocketed my only heirloom and calmly walked around the corner. He thought he¡¯d found an easy target. Clueless man. I summoned my prenni, and strings of light streamed from my hands, taking the form of a large ape. It stared at me with its huge eyes until I mentally ordered it off to track the robber. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I brushed myself off before continuing back toward my house. The narrow thing shared its side walls with the houses next door, which shared their walls with the next, forming a chain all the way down my street. I hurried inside, slammed the door, locked it tight, and stripped down as I headed for the water closet. A steel bucket sat on the floor drain under the only faucet, and I filled it again and again, dumping the water into the tarnished copper bathtub. I didn¡¯t care that it was lukewarm. I wasn¡¯t waiting to boil one bucket¡¯s worth at a time tonight. I needed to wash away the ghost of the pressure against my backside. If only my mission was over so I could leave this awful city, with all its elven men leering at me and waiting for their chance, but I had to make sacrifices for the greater good. My pain was worth it for the cause. I just wouldn¡¯t tell Mama about it, or she¡¯d never let me leave the Refuge again. I plunged into the tub, and the cold water shocked my skin. I shivered for a minute, but my body adjusted. I scrubbed myself aggressively with a small cloth, then laid back and stared at the rough wooden planks crossing above me. They needed replacing, but that sure wasn¡¯t happening. I melded with my prenni, seeing through its eyes. It stood watching the robber standing with his pregnant wife, putting a toddler to bed. Rage boiled inside me, and I wanted to vomit. How could he act so lovingly, so shamelessly, around his wife and little girl after what he¡¯d threatened to do to me? I turned the ape away and headed downstairs, where I scanned the main room. Where would he have put it? I checked his cloak¡¯s pockets. Not there. The kitchen drawers, the cupboards, any container I could find. Nothing. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, so I shut a cupboard door. Time to check upstairs. I phased right through the robber and his wife on the way up and guided my prenni straight to their bedroom, passing their daughter¡¯s door. I checked the boxes under the bed, in their dresser drawers and nightstands, and every shelf of their closet. Still nothing. Surely he wouldn¡¯t have hidden it in his daughter¡¯s room? Then I noticed the small bookcase in the corner and started pulling the books out. A small box was hidden in the back, and my necklace was inside on top of a pile of other pieces of jewelry. Fucking thief. I snatched the necklace and replaced the books, then snuck downstairs. The couple sat on a small couch before the empty fireplace, their backs turned to me, not seeing the necklace floating in the air. Shit. I hadn¡¯t planned ahead enough. How was I going to get the necklace back to me? If I had my prenni phase through the walls, I¡¯d have to drop the necklace. Think, think. The window. It was shut, but I could smash the prenni¡¯s fist through it and drop the necklace outside. No, that would have been too obvious it had been broken from inside, with the glass falling outside. The man would say he¡¯d been targeted by a witch. My only option was straight through the front door. He wouldn¡¯t be able to prove it wasn¡¯t just a prank, or a spooked thief. It would make noise. I had to be fast. I gripped the door handle with one hand and readied the other to flip the lock. Go. I flung the door open and sprinted out into the dark. ¡°Demons take me!¡± the robber shouted, but the necklace was out of sight before he ever reached the door. I came back to myself and climbed out of the tub, wrapping a towel around me. I hurried to my door and waited until I sensed my prenni nearby. It let me know no one was around, and when I opened the door, it waited on the other side holding my necklace out to me. Grinning, I took it back and held it to my chest. ¡°You let him take me,¡± Ket growled. ¡°Quiet, you¡¯re fine. Good job,¡± I said to the ape, and it dissolved into strings of light that faded and disappeared. That elf had messed with the wrong girl. And if I ever saw the other one again, the attacker, I¡¯d set my prenni loose on him and wouldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that,¡± Ket said. 4. Kalay A loud cracking sound woke me, followed by Seran¡¯s scream, and I sprung out of bed, grabbing my sword before rushing downstairs. Guards swarmed inside through the splintered door with swords drawn. Seran dropped the book she¡¯d been reading, and a guard snapped a holy obsidian collar around her neck, while a few others ordered me to drop my sword. This couldn¡¯t be happening. She hadn¡¯t done anything! Her terrified eyes met mine, and I wanted to kill every one of them. ¡°Drop your sword!¡± a guard shouted again. I threw it to the floor but got up in the man¡¯s face. ¡°Explain,¡± I growled. ¡°Your little witch poisoned Lord Arenda,¡± he said, not backing down. ¡°There¡¯s your explanation. Don¡¯t suppose you knew about that?¡± This was idiotic. Seran would never do something like that, especially something that would obviously be pinned on her. I glared the guard down, and he scoffed, turning to follow the others. Seran¡¯s eyes pleaded to me before they dragged her out. I had to do something. They had to have the wrong person. The lord had a taster, so he couldn¡¯t have been poisoned through his food or drink. It had to be linked to the potions, and the only other person with access to those was Ninau. She¡¯d framed Seran, and she was going to confess. I threw on my cloak and boots and ran for the manor. ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re not on night shift,¡± a guard at the gate said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I shot him a scathing look. ¡°It¡¯s about Lord Arenda¡¯s poisoning. You letting me in or not?¡± The two guards glanced at each other but shrugged, letting me through. Now I just had to convince the guards at the records room to let me in, too. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You need something?¡± one asked. ¡°I¡¯m looking into the lord¡¯s poisoning. Let me through.¡± ¡°Not a chance. Nobody gave you permission to barge in here.¡± ¡°I just need Ninau¡¯s address.¡± The guard burst out laughing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what this is. Need a late night fuck, eh? Fine, just wait here.¡± He entered the room, but the other guard kept a hand on his sword hilt as we glared at each other. Then the piece of shit came back with a scrawled note. ¡°There you go. Now get out of here.¡± I stormed all the way to Ninau¡¯s little compartment house in the slums and slammed my fist against the rickety door. I could have kicked it down if I needed to, but Ninau answered in nothing but a cropped top and undershorts, leaving her toned abdomen and thick, strong legs on full display. Scrapes covered her knees and arms, but I didn¡¯t give a shit. She smiled. ¡°Paying me a midnight visit? How scandalous.¡± I barreled my way inside, and she jumped away. I slammed the door shut and loomed over the girl. ¡°You poisoned Lord Arenda.¡± Her face twisted, but then she laughed. ¡°Is this how you flirt?¡± I shoved her against the door. ¡°You think I¡¯m joking around? They arrested Seran!¡± She pried my hand off her with a scowl. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but that has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You¡¯re the only other person who could have poisoned Seran¡¯s potions. You¡¯re coming with me and you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± She smiled dangerously. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re getting yourself into.¡± I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her away from the door, but she kicked me hard in the crotch, and I forgot to keep my grip. Something threw me across the room, and I crashed into the tiny dining table, toppling it and shattering a few dishes on the floor. The blow to my back knocked the wind out of me. Before I could catch my breath, an invisible hand wrapped around my throat and squeezed. I gasped uselessly as my lungs burned, and I pushed on the thick arm I couldn¡¯t see. By the door, Ninau threw on a cloak, gave me a quick glance I couldn¡¯t read, and hurried out. I was going to die, and so was Seran. Thanks to this witch. The hand released me, and I gulped down air between coughing fits. I had to get it together and get to Seran. The guards needed to know the truth, with or without Ninau¡¯s confession. It was the only thing left I could do. 5. Seran In the corner of my dark, damp cell, I sat on the sticky floor, rocking forward and back with my arms wrapped around my knees. I couldn¡¯t slow my breathing or stop my tears, and I¡¯d already emptied my stomach in the other corner. The collar around my throat dug into my skin, making me feel like I was constantly choking. I¡¯d been found out. I¡¯d always thought one day they¡¯d accuse me as a witch because of that night six years ago, plus the fact I just didn¡¯t fit in¡ªI¡¯d never even been on a date, which was already suspicious on its own to these people¡ªbut I never thought it would be through no fault of my own. That seemed particularly unfair. The Maker had cursed me as a witch from birth, but I¡¯d ignored it all as much as I possibly could. Maybe I¡¯d had it too easy, and now he¡¯d gotten impatient. Maybe I¡¯d been spoiling his fun. My execution wouldn¡¯t be long. They didn¡¯t like holding witches. The rest of this cell block was empty. Maybe they¡¯d wait until morning to have an audience, or they wouldn¡¯t risk waiting, and I had an hour left at best. I finally started to get my breathing under control with two realizations: at least I¡¯d be joining my parents soon, and Kalay would be free to live his life without worrying about me. The door to the hallway opened, and faint torchlight cast barred shadows across the cell block. Two guards shoved someone¡ªa man¡ªinside as he struggled against their grip. ¡°You¡¯re fucking everything up!¡± Kalay¡¯s voice bellowed, and my blood ran cold. The guards threw him into the cell across from me and stepped back out into the hallway, leaving the block in total darkness again. ¡°Why?¡± I whimpered. Metal rang as if Kalay had kicked the bars of his cell. He breathed heavily and took a minute before he spoke. ¡°It was Ninau,¡± he said softly. ¡°She poisoned everything you gave the lord. She¡¯s a witch.¡± ¡°But why did they arrest you instead of her?¡± ¡°I tried to get her to confess, but she got away. Now they just think I¡¯m lying to cover for you. Said there¡¯s no way she could have added any poison without someone noticing. They¡¯re so fucking stupid. She¡¯s a witch! You can¡¯t see how she does it!¡± He kicked the bars again, and I flinched. He hadn¡¯t been this angry in six years, not since the night we protected each other from our ¡°caretaker¡±. The cell block¡¯s door opened again, and Penad¡¯s guard captain, with his full suit of armor, stepped through carrying a torch, followed by three other guards. The captain stopped before my cell, his armor glinting in the torchlight. ¡°Since Lord Arenda is indisposed, Lady Arenda has decided to hold your execution until morning,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°She wants to put on a show with you. In the meantime, we can¡¯t let your stay be too comfortable.¡± He gestured to Kalay¡¯s cell, and two guards unlocked it. Kalay charged, but the two pushed him back to the floor. Then the beating started. They kicked at him from both sides, while he curled up and protected his head. Just like six years ago. ¡°Stop!¡± I screamed, and I leapt up to grip the bars. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Your turn,¡± the captain said. The remaining guard entered my cell and slapped me with the back of his gauntleted hand, knocking me sideways into the bars. Everything spun, and I slumped to the floor, tasting blood in my mouth. Then he kicked me in the gut, and I doubled over, drawing my knees up to my face and curling my arms over my head, mirroring Kalay. He kicked me again, and again, but the only thing I paid attention to was the sound of Kalay¡¯s wet coughing. Why did they have to drag him into this? A man screamed, followed by the torch clattering to the floor and the other guards¡¯ confused shouts. The kicking stopped, and I peeked between my arms. An ape outlined in light, with its hulking muscular form, stood over the bloodied corpse of the guard captain, his armor caved in and punctured at multiple points. The guard standing over me stepped back, away from the cell door. Without the captain¡¯s keys, he was trapped in here with me. But the ape reached between the bars, grabbed the man by the arms, and pulled sharply, slamming his head against the metal several times, long after he¡¯d already gone limp. The ape let him drop, and I screamed as his caved in face turned to the side toward me. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The ape ignored me, instead turning to the other two guards cowering against the wall in Kalay¡¯s cell, their eyes darting side to side as they searched for the invisible attacker. One slid to the floor and began praying to the Maker to save him from demons. The witch¡¯s familiar phased through the cell beside Kalay¡¯s, reached through the bars, and ripped the standing guard¡¯s head off in one quick motion. The body fell forward to the floor, his blood pooling and soaking Kalay¡¯s clothes. The final guard stared at the head rolling toward him, his hands pressed to his cheeks, his horror leaving him silent. The ape stepped over Kalay, grabbed the guard by his uniform, and lifted him up against the wall. Then it bit into his neck with its many sharp teeth, tearing away a large chunk of flesh, and flung the body to the floor. Kalay still laid curled up on his side, not daring to move. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I begged, kneeling at the bars of my cell. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him!¡± The ape turned to me, spitting out flesh and blood. It slowly phased through Kalay¡¯s cell and approached mine, but another, much larger ape raced into the room and tackled it, throwing it into the far wall. By the Maker, what was happening? The smaller one jumped to its feet, snarling, but the larger stood tall and reached its arms wide, daring the other. The smaller ape grumbled, and crept low past the larger, which never took its eyes off it. The smaller paused beside the guard captain and unhooked the cell keys, holding them out to the larger without looking it in the eyes. They were helping us? Who was controlling them? The larger huffed and jerked its head toward Kalay¡¯s cell, but the smaller unlocked mine instead. It reached an open hand toward me, but I fell back with a gasp. It acted like it wanted to help me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to touch it. The ape flinched and withdrew its hand before turning to Kalay¡¯s cell and unlocking it, too. I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the sharp pain in my sides, legs, and arms, and the two apes stepped back out of my way. ¡°Kalay,¡± I said. ¡°Kalay, are you awake?¡± He turned his head to the side, eyeing me from behind his arms. His breathing was ragged and shallow, but at least he was conscious. ¡°Get up,¡± I said. ¡°We have to go.¡± He pressed a hand into the widening pool of blood and tried to push himself up, but he groaned and rolled onto his back. I wasn¡¯t in any shape to help him up and didn¡¯t know what to do. Desperate, I looked to the apes. The larger one moved to stand over Kalay and grabbed his arm, making his eyes widen in terror. But the ape only pulled him to his feet as he cried out in pain. He took a moment to find his balance, leaning against the bars and wrapping his arms around his sides. He coughed violently, spitting up blood, and almost fell again. The ape caught him. ¡°This is weird,¡± Kalay mumbled. ¡°Who¡¯s doing this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered. ¡°But we really have to go.¡± I almost screamed as the smaller ape phased through me and then through the door. I followed after it, and Kalay after me, with the larger ape keeping an eye on him. We stepped out into the prison¡¯s hallway to find more guards lying dead on the floor. The smaller ape gestured for us to follow. We stumbled out into the dark with no one in sight, and our guide led us out of the city, careful to avoid any night shift guards. Reaching the open wasteland, the wind¡¯s chill made me shiver, worsening my pain, but I trudged through it. The larger ape barreled ahead of the other and took the lead, taking us toward a rock outcropping in the distance. Who was waiting for us there? Once we were close, the larger ape dissipated into strings of light that faded and vanished. I heard someone¡¯s feet shuffle in the dirt but couldn¡¯t make them out in the dark. ¡°What do you want?¡± Kalay asked, stopping beside me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s rude after I just rescued you two,¡± Ninau¡¯s voice said. ¡°You!¡± Kalay stumbled forward, growling. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t make me attack you again.¡± She attacked him? She¡¯d pay for that. ¡°Why would you help us?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe I feel a little bad for setting you up. Just a tiny bit.¡± ¡°And whose familiar is this?¡± I jerked my thumb behind me, where the ape that killed the guards still stood, its teeth bared in Ninau¡¯s direction. She shrugged. ¡°No idea. But I have this under control,¡± she said loudly. ¡°You can go now.¡± The ape grumbled and dispersed, but its light reformed into a small hawk. It soared overhead in circles, not going anywhere. Ninau gasped. ¡°She has a geran? That¡¯s¡­ wow.¡± She even knew what these creatures were called. This was a girl who embraced being a witch. She couldn¡¯t be trusted, but what choice did we have? ¡°Anyway, we should go before any guards start looking for you. Thanks to your mystery friend, they won¡¯t have any doubt that you¡¯re a witch now.¡± ¡°And where are we going?¡± Kalay asked. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± With no other option, Kalay and I followed the sound of Ninau¡¯s footsteps. She sent some kind of wolf ahead to lead the way through the dark. I wondered what this one was called, but I refused to show any curiosity in these things. I would never embrace being a witch like she had.