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One
Kelia
The magi prison was located on one of the isolated islands off the southern coast; cold, wet, rocky, and ominous. A strange whirring sound filled the air outside the stone enclosure. Magic, deep, and dark. Only the most dangerous of creatures and villains landed in this isolated place, and I had come to release one of them.
I waited outside by the carriage for the guards to bring out the mage.
Callum Deathstrike. Though, from my research, that wasn’t his true last name. I wondered how a dark fae who had been locked away for decades would be of any use to us, regardless of his power.
But I had my orders.
The driver opened an umbrella to hold above me as rain fell from the darkened sky. Oscar was taller than any other man I’d met, but anyone who worked for the magi was always more than what they seemed, including me. His lanky arm held the protective covering high above my head, keeping most of my dress dry.
A grinding emanated from the black iron gates as they opened outward. Four guards escorted the fae out. Two held poles connected to a collar around his neck. A magical dampener to keep his power at bay. The other two stood behind the prisoner, staves pointed at his back.
The rain fell harder, making it difficult to see.
I walked forward; the driver quickly followed.
Mud sloshed against my boots and dirtied the hem of my once white dress. Callum had his head down, staring at the ground. When I drew closer, the stench of his prison sentence nearly made me gag.
“Why is he not cleaned?” I demanded, holding a hand to my nose.
One of the guards glared at me. “Not our job to bathe the beast.”
With a flick of my hand, I sent my magic forth to wrap around the guard’s throat like a noose. “Do not get clever with me.”
The guard dropped the pole and clawed at the magical lasso as I tightened it around his pitiful neck.
A smirk appeared on Callum’s face. The rest of his features were covered by shaggy magenta hair that fell past his pointed ears. Dark fae were known to have silver hair or varying shades of white not a bright color that stood out against the surrounding rock.
“Do you have bathing amenities here?” I directed my question to the guard holding the other pole.
He nodded.
“Then take us to them. I will not travel with this man reeking of defecation.” I released my hold on the guard and grabbed my skirt in both hands. “Bring fresh towels and a set of clean clothes, on order of the Magi Council.”
The guards turned and led the fae back inside. He shuffled as he walked, a chain between his ankles. The stained gray uniform he wore had ripped in odd places as if he’d worn it for his entire imprisonment. The magi were not known for their empathy, but even prisoners deserved basic amenities.
Past the gate, we entered through an enormous set of steel doors. Oscar waited outside, knowing full well I could handle this on my own. There was a reason the magi sent me, one of their best. Even after the unfortunate events at Farrow’s Gate, I’d proven over the years that very few could match my power, and those that came close had died, including Demious, even if it wasn’t by my hand. Lord Demious had always been a powerful ally, but the magi did not know the extents the magistrate had gone to empower himself. If they had kept their spy network intact, the magistrate would still be alive and neutralized.
We headed into a tunnel that seemed to be a separate area from where the prisoners were kept. Because of the prison’s location, the guards had to live on site, and I assumed we were headed to the guardhouse where the area didn’t smell of death, decay, and years of unwashed captives.
The common room we entered held a library, an eating area, and off to the side, a wooden door with a picture of a toilet carved into the front. The guards pressed Callum forward. His expression never shifted to anger. Instead, he peered at me beneath dark lashes as if he had no idea why I would be here.
“There’s no exit,” one of them said to me. “We’ll take him in, and you can wait here.”
“No.”
While one guard walked off, the other three stared at each other in confusion.
“He is my charge. I will make sure he cleans and dresses. He’s too valuable to be left in your incapable hands.” With that, I grabbed the pole and tugged on it. “Come, fae.”
Callum kept his head down, not saying much. The other guard followed behind me, carrying two white towels and a folded set of guard clothes. Black shirt and trousers, with the blue symbol of the magi on the front pocket.
I pushed Callum forward into the baths.
The showers were an open, large room with steel heads on the left wall, and benches on the right where clothes and other items could be left. I unhooked the pole connected to the collar on Callum’s neck—I’d need the guards to give me the key for his magical dampener. I pushed open the door and called for the guard to remove the chains around Callum’s hands and ankles. Once completed, the guard left the set of clothes and quickly exited the area.
