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The door was shut and locked.
“No!” I growled, throwing my weight against it. It wouldn’t budge, and the force hurt my shoulder—it would leave a bruise.
I could deal with those as long as I was alive.
“Let me,” Zita said, stepping up.
She threw her body against the door as I had, but her warrior strength broke through, and the door splintered around her. She kicked the wooden slats out of the way, letting us all through before she followed.
We ran toward the steep steps that led to the servants’ entrance.
Mom went through first, with Marilla and Agatha behind her. They struggled, weak as we had once been, but Nylah was right behind them, helping them up physically as well as with her magic.
“Go, go, go,” Zita said quickly when it was my turn.
I took one step up before I paused.
Erol was right behind us. His power was so strong, we could barely see anything at all, and I struggled to think straight. The fight for survival, a natural instinct, had kicked in and taken over. All I’d focused on until now was that we had to get away as quickly as we could, with everyone together, our lives still intact.
Every step through the dungeon, on this path Erol had sent us on the first time, brought back memories I wished I could forget. Except…Erol. I couldn’t forget about him.
He’d been the one to help us escape, arranging a way for us to get out despite the guards being everywhere, despite how weak and powerless we’d been.
He’d been our hero that night, even though he’d been our warden for months on end.
He’d had good in him.
I flashed on our first meeting in Jasfin after it all, and the spark of light I’d seen in him. I’d seen that same light and goodness when we’d arrived here at the castle and when I’d gone to help him.
This darkness, the power, the promise of death, wasn’t Erol. I ran from him, but it wasn’thimwho did this. It was something else. He was a victim, a prisoner, just as we had been.
“What are you waiting for?” Zita cried out. “He’s gaining on us!”
I shook my head. “I can’t go.”
“What?” Zita and my mom—who’d come back to the top of the stairs to see what took us so long—cried out in unison.
“He’s not himself! He needs help!” I said. “I can’t abandon him now. I can’t leave him behind to suffer in this mess all by himself. It’s all he’s ever had. I can’t do that to him.”
“He’ll kill you!” Nylah cried out.
“You told me yourself—with Terra’s words—that this was the dark before the sun came out again. I can’t run from him, Nylah. I’m…I love him.”
Nylah stared at me before she nodded.
“Do what you need to do.”
“How can you say that?” Mom screeched, furious. She glared at me. “Hazel, come here, right now! We’re not leaving you behind!”
I shook my head, determination taking over where fear had ruled a moment ago.
“He needs me.”
“He’ll kill you!”
“He’s not a monster.”
“You said that he’s not himself! There’s nothing left!”
