Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 47

As traumatic as her nasty meal had been, it paled in comparison to her disgust at herself for being so magically unreliable that she could not help herself. Just once, she wanted it to work when she needed it to! Allan should have taught her to pick a lock instead of making her knock over bottles.

She steeled herself to try blasting the lock again. She gathered all her magic to herself and threw it with everything she had at the door.

And nothing happened.

Ildri felt tears of frustration escape out of the corner of her eye. It was so aggravating, it was so—

Ildri realized she smelled smoke, and she glanced down.

Fire was licking the straw on the floor right beside her feet, and consuming it more quickly than a normal fire had any right to. Ildri backed away in fear, as it drew closer.

She felt pure panic. She was going to die. "Fire!"

She screamed again. Were they going to let her burn? She scrambled to the corner of the room and grabbed her blanket. She tried to beat out the flames to no avail. Thick smoke choked her throat and she coughed.

This was what magic did for Ildri. The bloody unreliable force that it was. She screamed again and pushed at the bars. It was so hot she could not get any farther away from the licking heat.

Then she heard a male voice. "Shit! Fire!"

There was rushing chaos and Ildri was yanked out of the cell. Three men charged about. One of them pushed her into the hold of another. "Stick her in another cell for now, we'll deal with this."

Ildri was dragged along. She did not have time to panic. She had succeeded in getting out of her cell, it would be for naught if she just got stuck in another. And what if they figured out that she had magic? She did not know what a magic inhibitor felt like but she doubted that it was good.

She was roughly dragged up the stairs. There was a room at the top with several doors that appeared very much as the one they had exited. There was a table with dice scattered upon it, an old book, keys and a heavy looking candlestick.

Ildri did not stop to think. She jerked out of the guard's hand, and grabbed the candlestick. It was heavier than it looked. Using her whole small frame she swung it with all the force she could straight into the guard's face.

For a second Ildri thought she was in a whole lot more trouble because the guard teetered, looking stunned. Then he fell forward, onto his face.

Ildri stared for a second. She hoped he would be alright, but... She did not have time for that. She grabbed the guard's sword and dagger, and grabbed the keys from the table. There was a lock on the door that they had come through. The door with the two guards still behind it.

Ildri shut the door and tried several keys until one fit and turned. The door was made of heavy, reinforced wood. They'd have trouble getting out even if they hacked at it with their swords. She hoped that they would not suffocate from the smoke. Hopefully they got the fire out.

She had no idea where she was going, so she peered into each door. Each had a twisting hallway or stairs leading up or down. She tried to go up, simply because it was the opposite of where she had been.

At the top she found that it led only to a room with another cell. "Who are you?" asked the lone occupant.

"Never mind, I've got to go."

"Are you Ildri? I heard the guards speaking of you. Are you escaping? Take me with you," he pleaded.

"No, I've got to..."