They walked through the facility at a leisurely pace as though they belonged there with Connor leading the way, and Adelia at his side.

  Adelia was deadlier than anyone else in their group, and with his elevated strength and senses, he should be their second strongest fighter.

  They kept Maya in the middle of their little party. She was the only one who could remove Victor’s collar, so protecting her was the priority.

  They encountered no resistance and a lack of any guards in sight as they moved through the facility. Explosions rumbled in the distance.

  Hopefully, Korvac could keep them distracted for long enough.

  They quickly reached the place where Victor was being held, and Connor motioned for them to stop. The guards should be just around the corner.

  They probably wouldn’t leave their posts even with the facility under attack. Victor was too valuable.

  “Can I do anything to help?” Maya whispered.

  “Cast some spells if you can without putting yourself or any of us in danger. Remember, if you go down then all of this is for nothing,” Connor said.

  He then counted down with his fingers showing 3…2…1…

  He ducked around the corner with the first wave of crossbowmen. Sure enough, the guards were still there. Just as he’d expected, and they were already alert.

  He sighted on the one who’d given him directions before. He suspected that was the captain.

  The captain pointed at them. “Intru—,” he started.

  Connor squeezed the trigger.

  The bolt skewered the guard captain through his breastplate, straight into his heart.

  He collapsed to the ground with an unspoken order on his lips. He never had a chance.

  The others fired with similar results.

  Connor dived back around the corner and started reloading his crossbow while the second wave of them ducked around the corner and fired.

  More guards fell. In just a few seconds their numbers had been halved, but it wasn’t enough.

  The guards rushed them.

  Damn! There just wasn’t enough time to reload his crossbow before the guards would reach them. He dropped his crossbow and drew his longsword.

  He ran at the guards, and Adelia ran beside him.

  The guards lowered their deadly spears, ready to skewer the pair of them.

  He swatted a spear aside with his longsword and slipped through the opening like water through a sieve. Adelia did much the same, and in less than a breath, they closed the distance.

  They slammed into the guards at full speed like a pair of battering rams. Despite the guards each outweighing them with their plate armor, they crashed to the ground as the two of them simply bowled them over.

  This strength potion was amazing!

  They were too close now for the guards to use their spears effectively, and the guards at their feet soon turned into human pincushions as the crossbowmen riddled them with bolts.

  A guard thrust a spear at him. He sidestepped and stabbed his longsword through the gap in the guard’s armor. He ducked and another spear thrust through the empty space where his head used to be.

  He grappled a third and spun him around.

  A pair of bolts slammed into the guard’s exposed back, and he let the man crumple to the floor even as he swung his longsword and deflected another spear thrust.

  He picked up on their subtlest movements, and the rattle of their armor as they moved was easy to make out even with the explosions and factory work echoing through the halls.

  He and Adelia flowed between the guards like water. Deflecting and dodging attacks with supernatural grace. They whirled between the guards, stabbing them through the gaps in their armor, grappling them, and creating openings for the crossbowmen to fill them with bolts.

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  The air around them rippled, and the guards slowed as though they were trying to move through syrup.

  He couldn’t spare a glance back to check, but he suspected that was Maya’s doing. Her spell made everything significantly easier.

  After what felt like an eternity, but in truth took less than a minute, the last guard slumped to the floor. His body riddled with bolts.

  Connor panted and wiped the blood off his blade. His pulse thundered through his veins, and each breath carried with it the metallic scent of blood. He felt like a god!

  They’d made it through the most dangerous part of the mission, and all he had to show for it were a few shallow cuts when he’d been just a bit too slow.

  "Thanks for the spell," Connor said between breaths.

  Maya’s lips quirked up. "It was nothing," she said, "I've never seen anyone move like you two... how did you do that?"

  He looked behind her at the stunned looks of the rest of their group.

  How could he possibly explain what they’d just done?

  “We'd best get a move on before we run out of time," Vadik said.

  Connor gave him a barely perceptible nod of thanks. He’d just been saved from answering Maya’s question, but for how long?

  He needed to be more careful in future.

  He sheathed his sword and moved down the corridor to the heavy iron door that stood between him and his uncle.

  He knelt down at the lock. "Watch my back," he said.

  Half of the men turned around and faced back down the corridor, their crossbows loaded and ready to fire.

  Vadik leaned over him. “Can you get through this?” he asked.

  "I should be able to," Connor said before adding in a whisper, "but the lock is magical. Can you block the others from seeing me for a second while I take a potion?"

  "Sure thing," Vadik said. He shifted slightly, blocking Connor from view.

  Connor quickly took out a Potion of Magic Sight from his bag and drank it.

  He pretended to inspect the lock for a moment as he waited for the effects to kick in.

  It wasn't long before the lock lit up with swirling patterns of color. He took out his picks and pulled on his magic.

  As always it resisted him, but he kept at it... slowly dragging it down into his picks before bringing them to the lock.

  It took a few adjustments, but he made his magic fit the lock, and picked the mechanical side soon after.

  The door unlocked with a satisfying click, and he gestured for the crossbowmen to take position.

  They took aim, ready to fire on his command.

  He drew his longsword and swung open the door. His heart sank.

  It was empty.

  He stepped into the room and looked around.

  "Did they know we were coming?” he muttered.

  He’d taken every precaution. How could they possibly have known?

  There were other doors in the room. Maybe Victor was in an adjoining room? They were so close now! He couldn't just leave. This plan wouldn’t work a second time.

  “Let’s check the other doors. They may be keeping him in different quarters,” Connor said.

  The rest of the group filed into the room with him.

  “Should we split up and check all the doors at once, or take them one by one?” Adelia asked.

  “I don’t know,” Connor said, “we don’t have much time though… Vadik what do you think? Vadik?”

  He spun around. Vadik was still in the passageway they’d come from.

  “Vadik? What are you doing?” Connor asked.

  Vadik looked him straight in the eyes and slammed the metal door.

  A humming filled the air, growing louder and louder. Complex swirls of magical color blazed all around Connor.

  He tried to run for the door, but his body wouldn’t respond.

  He collapsed, and a series of thuds told him the others shared a similar fate.

  From the floor, he saw Adelia make it to the heavy iron door. She rattled the handle, but the door didn’t budge. She slammed her fists into the iron with thunderous strikes that shook the floor and left dents in the metal.

  “You bastard! Open the door! What have you done!” she screamed, but her attacks grew weaker.

  She swayed, fell backward, and lay still like everyone else.

  Connor couldn’t move, but he could still see, hear, and think.

  The only thought he had now was why? Why had his friend betrayed him?

  Why?

  ***

  The humming stopped, and the doors to the room opened. Men in shining plate armor stormed in.

  For a second, he thought they’d been saved by the city guard.

  Then the men started placing metal collars around the necks of everyone under Connor’s command and dragged them away.

  He couldn’t move. All he could do was watch helplessly as his allies were taken, and any hope of rescuing Victor was shattered.

  Vadik came back into the room and bowed before a man wearing an elegant cloak.

  The man had his hood up so Connor couldn’t see his face.

  “Well done, Vadik,” said the cloaked man, “the city and the thieves’ guilds will be yours as we agreed.”

  Vadik nodded.

  “Is something wrong?” the man asked.

  “Not at all,” Vadik said, “be careful with him and with the girl. Don’t underestimate them.”

  “Not to worry, Vadik,” the man said with mirth in his voice, “we’ve made special arrangements for their transport. It will be more than enough to hold them.”

  “Just don’t come running to me if they escape,” Vadik said, “I held up my end.”

  “Yes,” the man said, “you did. Though I am curious… do you plan on giving The Chamberlain the city like you promised?”

  “In a way,” Vadik said, “he belongs to me. He can control the city. I control him.”

  The man laughed. “Very well. I’ll take custody of these two. The Master will see to it that you get what you need to eliminate The Prince and take the city,” he said.

  Two armored men hoisted Connor off the floor and dragged him away.

  He could still hear the cloaked man talking with Vadik behind him.

  Connor seethed with fury even as sadness choked him from within.

  How long had Vadik been betraying him?

  He felt so stupid. It all made sense. How they had known that Connor would be at the docks, but not that Adelia would be with him.

  That they got inside the palace so easily despite the danger of the tunnels. Why Chamberlain Davison had chosen now to make his power play…

  The guards dragged Connor to a large container much the same as the one they used for deliveries.

  They threw him in and slammed the door.

  A softer humming sound much like the one that had paralyzed him earlier filled the darkness.

  He had failed to rescue Victor. His friend had betrayed him. The thieves guild was in ruins, and he and his allies were captured.

  It was over.

  END OF BOOK ONE.

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