Chapter 74

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Safania's POV

I woke up to the sound of water dripping. Groggy and with a pounding headache, I opened my eyes to find myself, yet again, in Peria's dungeon.

The events came rushing back quickly - going to Emalina's room, someone grabbing and sedating me, Emalina screaming...had Irado invaded the castle? I tried to visualize the person who had sedated me, but I couldn't - they had come from behind me.

Suddenly, I thought about the baby. Did the drugs hurt it? Was it okay? I pressed my hand to my abdomen and found myself reassured. I didn't know how, but somehow, I knew my child was alright.

I looked down at my hands to find my wrists encased in metal chains. I could split them off, but melting them would draw less attention and take far less energy - and I wasn't sure how much energy I had in me or how much I would need to escape. Waiting was no good either - the dungeon would only drain my power more and more until I couldn't do anything at all.

Melting it is, I decided. I focused my energy on the shackles. Within moments, the molten metal dripped off my wrists, landing in a metallic puddle. Free of my restraints, I moved to the cell doors. I couldn't see anyone outside the cell, so I moved on to melting the lock. Once the lock had dissolved, I slowly opened the door, trying as hard as I could to prevent it from creaking.

I cautiously stepped into the hallway, but still didn't see anyone. I darted across to another cell. Empty. I crossed back to a cell on the same side as mine. Also empty. Finally, in the third cell was Emalina, lying in a heap on the ground.

I melted the lock on her door and snuck inside. "Em?" I whispered, crouching down next to her and shaking her gently.

"Mmm," Emalina groaned in response.

"Em, you have to get up now," I told her.

Her warm, brown eyes fluttered open. She grimaced and put her hand to her forehead.

"It's the sedative," I told her.

"What happened?" she asked. "Who were those people? Do you think it's Irado?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea Em. But whoever they are, they definitely aren't our friends. We need to find the others and get out of here."

Emalina nodded.

I looked at Emalina's shackles. I could melt them...but Emalina couldn't withstand heat like I could, and the melting metal would cause her severe burns. The best option was to crack them open. But that would be so loud...

We didn't have a choice.

"I'm going to try to break your chains off," I told Emalina. "When I do, run against the wall over there. I have an idea."

I once again, focused my energy, held out my hand, and...a huge crack echoed through the dungeon. Emalina looked at her bare wrists in awe.

"Come on," I said, dragging her toward the corner of the cell out of view of the door.

"I think it came from the maid's cell," a voice said in the distance. Emalina and I listened silently as the footsteps grew louder.

"What the hell?" one man asked as he arrived at the cell door. Two men pushed inside the cell, looking around frantically for Emalina. They finally turned to see us in the corner.

"You found us," I said, opening my fist to reveal a flame. "Now sit down before I hurt you."

The two men sat on the ground of the cell immediately, stunned by the flames in the palm of my hand. Having made my point, and trying to conserve energy, I let the flame die out.

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