Thirty-Two: Chimia

Hot, relentless tears ran down my cheeks. I sat slumped over in the corner of the cart, utterly useless.

I was sure that if I threw myself against the opening hard enough I could get out of there, but then what? I'd stupidly let my magic be bound. I had become precisely the girl that Malfizan kept insisting I was; short-sighted, impulsive, self-centered. And it had led me here, to a fool's death. I could hear the chaos quieting around us in the city, and I knew that if I tried to escape I would be killed. I didn't look like myself and had no way of lifting my glamour, meaning no guard would look twice if I was beaten to death by my captor for trying to stow away in his wares. I had no way to defend myself.

I'd willingly walked into a trap set by the man who had taken my only real family from me.

As we moved, I tried other methods. First, I tried to call on Bia. But without magic, my silent prayers could go nowhere. Without gift or sacrifice or ritual, she could not hear my call. I attempted to utilize my alleged ancestral ties to Hades, but there were none. And I felt like an ass all over again for letting Vasha's quick words get into my head. I was trained *by the Gods*. I was meant to be intelligent, quick-witted, strong, and resilient. I was intended to be an asset if war broke out.

Finally, stubbornly, I searched my soul for the bond to Malfizan and found the block I'd placed there. But it was immovable. Not that I thought he would help me, anyway. He had lied to me, manipulated me, and humiliated me. It was just as likely that he had been a part of my undoing as it was that my mother had been. The only person who had consistently had my best interests at heart had been Presta, and even she had fallen victim to Mal's manipulations. And I could not call on her even if she was not compromised; I had not allowed her and Reus to link themselves to me as Fen had to keep them safe. I was glad for it, because they were alive, and I hoped they were looking for me.

But I was not hopeful that they would find me.

Feeling useless was awaking a wrath in me, and with my power bound, I knew that this was dangerous. I wouldn't have the time it took to even leave the city, and if I lost control I would flatten it. With no outlet for my energy, panic started to set in and stoke the flames.

"You are hot," hissed the woman next to me, as if it were my fault. "He said he'd not let anyone in with the fever, but you make my child sweat with your vile."

Before I could react, the cart suddenly stopped moving. There was a thump as it settled into place, then the muffled sounds of conversation. I could hear only the two people riding in the front, so we must have been somewhere less populated. There couldn't be much of that in Echelon. Maybe we had crossed the gates already.

Maybe I was about to die.

The footsteps fell heavily around the side of the small caravan and stopped at the thatch that led to me and the other 'travelers'.

Had we been caught? Had I accidentally sentenced not just myself but these innocent bystanders to death because I was on the verge of exploding and crushing the city out of anger?

A loud bang let the moonlight into the previously pitch-black space, illuminating Kako from behind and casting an imposing shadow on the wall opposite the opening, where I was facing. Just the sight of him ignited the already massive flame within, and I began to shudder from the effort of keeping myself contained.

"Which of you here does not understand the meaning of total silence?" our captor begged, his sharp eyes looking at us each in turn. For some reason, he skipped over me, and I knew why. Whatever he was about to do to the woman who had been rude to me, he did not dare do to me. I was his prize, whether the others made it with me or not.

"It was I," I spat immediately. "I am ill, Seft. See how I sweat. See how I shake." I groaned and shivered, taking advantage of the opportunity to release my inner turmoil. It aided very little in making me feel better. Kako glared at me for several moments, considering what his next step would be. The others remained silent, and I was grateful at least for the woman's selfishness. If I could do nothing else, I hoped I was promising her survival and salvation. Finally, from his pocket, Kako took a kerchief and tied it around my mouth and nose. It was thin enough that I could breathe, but it would muffle any further sounds I made. Not because of the fabric, but because it was enchanted.

I was reminded that I'd been briefly fooled that this man, using a glamour over his features and his voice, was not powerful. It was then that I realized why: Kako's powers were bound, too, to some extent. He was not defenseless, but he could not risk exposing himself to me before I myself was bound. He, too, was relatively defenseless. All I needed was some *help* and I might be able to survive.

There was a tickle in the back of my throat as I felt the flames start to lower and my determination began to grow. If I could find the right opening if I could somehow convince the others to act with me, anything. My eyes spun wildly about the container as it was shut again, my mind willing them to find anything to latch onto that might be able to help me.

And then, as they adjusted to the dark, I saw something I had not quite noticed before.

Kako's shadow.

It was the faintest outline of blackest black against a pitch-black canvas, and for several minutes--as everything began to move around us once again--I thought I was losing my mind. Then, the woman next to me reached out and squeezed my hand, momentarily distracting me. She wouldn't dare speak again, but she wanted to show her gratitude. When she let go, I moved my gaze back in front of me.

The outline was still there. I winked.

One red eye, for an instant, winked right back.

*Could it be? Could Hades have brought him back from the dead? Was it him? Fen, my Fen?*

As the shadow disappeared, I felt an unmistakable energy slide against the wall at my back, and I snapped backward against it. In the dark, my friend reached out and held my hand, and I cried again in the dark.