I grimaced, immediately wishing that I had come up with some semblance of a plan before I had told her anything. Now I had to make it up on the fly because time was running out.
If one of the guards decided to pop into my cell to give me a beating, or just because they were bored, they would see that I was free. The alarm would be raised, and it would destroy anychance Varna and I had of getting out of here alive. We might be useful to them as their own personal experiments, but I had no doubt that Tannin or someone else would kill us if we proved to be a danger.
"Great question. I'm thinking."
As I focused my mind, a familiar tingling sensation overtook my fingertips. My magic, usually strong and steady, now felt sluggish and uncooperative. I took a deep breath and attempted to shape it, but it writhed beneath my skin like a trapped animal.
The days without practicing had taken their toll, leaving me struggling to maintain control as I fought to tame the wild energy within me with just this flimsy bracelet/earring I stole from Legacy that I could use as a gauntlet.
Gauntlets and sigils were passed down through generations of magic users, but I had spent most of my youth scraping a living after my parents died. The only thing I had left from either of them was the amulet tucked close to my heart, and it wasn’t magical at all.
What few magical items I had—the sigils painted in enchanted ink on my skin and my previous gauntlets—I had borrowed, bought, or stolen. Not exactly army regulation.
Varna cleared her throat, and I leaned closer to the wall to hear her better, bracing one hand against the stone for balance.
"I know you're still thinking,” she whispered, “but I suggest you do it quickly because Legacy is on her way."
"How do you know?" I asked, then immediately let my head thump against the wall with a grunt of frustration.
Fool.I knew the answer to that question, but since she couldn't see me banging my head against the wall, she answered me anyway.
"I can feel her magic. It will be a few minutes, but she's definitely coming this way. So whatever you're planning on doing, I'd get it going."
"Got it." I peeled my head off the wall and pulled my magic into my fingers.
I had two options here as far as I could tell, although neither of them were any good.
Option one—break down the wall between ourselves. I’d have plenty of magic left, and a small explosion didn't require that much control.
Unfortunately, there was also the chance that Varna, or I, or both, could be injured in the process, not to mention there would be no way to hide the noise. We would have to fight our way out of here. While I wasn't completely against the idea, it also wouldn't be my first choice.
Option two—wait for Legacy to get closer, then attack her, and hope I could manage to turn the situation to my advantage. A good chance someone would get hurt, but still quieter. We might get out of here without having to fight, even if it meant we would have to run for our lives.
That also meant I would be repaying Legacy's attention by using her to escape.
A rush of guilt swamped my stomach. That, more than anything else, solidified my decision. She was my enemy. She didnotdeserve my guilt.
"I have a plan," I said.
This time when I reached out with my magic, I could feel Legacy as well, nearly at the door of my cell.
Now was the time.
I lunged toward the wall next to the door and pressed myself as far back as I could to make certain she couldn't see me before I had time to strike. The cold, slimy wall dug into my back as I crammed myself into the corner of the cell and tried to make my lanky frame as inconspicuous as possible.
I took a deep breath to prepare myself. The silver bracelet slid down my wrist, slick with sweat, but I prayed it would beenough to allow me to control my magic. I didn't want to hurt Legacy, but if I had to choose between her and myself and Varna, I would choose us. Even if my traitorous heart did pang sharply at that notion.
The door creaked open, and once again Legacy motioned for the guard to stay outside, closing the door behind her before she turned to look at the place where I should have been hanging from my chains.
That was her mistake, because the second the door was closed behind her, I lunged toward her.
My magic spiraled out of control, and I yanked it back into myself almost brutally. Legacy jerked in shock as I slammed into her, pulling the knot on my chains loose so that I could wrap one of them around her throat. It was hardly the plan I had intended to start with, but if I couldn't use my magic without hurting one, or both of us, then I had to come up with something else.
I tightened the length of chain around Legacy's throat and hauled her toward me, trying to ignore the fiery tingle of where her body pressed against mine.
"Don't move. Don't scream, or I'll kill you," I warned.
"I don't think you can," Legacy panted out, but she raised her hands slowly.
