Still dark. Still empty. The darkness is trying to creep into the dungeon while the blazing torches fight it away. And then—
A big old head fills the space, towering close to the top of the door. The head grunts and I know it’s true.
Skye slips back into her cell and all is revealed.
Abe stands there grinning, or at least I think that’s what it is, all crooked and honest-like. Behind him is Hightower, rising a head higher, the head I saw filling the dark, empty space, grunting a greeting, like he always does. And the biggest shocker: Brock’s there too, scowling, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What the…?” I say. And then in one breath, “Whatthechillareyoudoinghere?”
“You know them?” Skye says, looking back at me sharply.
“Of course he knows us,” Abe says. “I was his master not that long ago.”
“His master? Dazz—these’re the men you worked at the border with?”
I nod. Skye’s face clenches with anger. “I’ll kill ’em,” she says.
“Do that and Daisy here’ll spend the rest of his days rottin’ in this cell,” Abe says.
“What are you doing here, Abe?” I ask again. “There are guards all over this place. If they catch you…”
Abe raises a hand, silencing me. “Don’t worry ’bout the guards. We’re ’ere to git you out.”
“Out?” I say. “What are you talking about? Why would you—”
“Don’t question it, kid, we ain’t got much time.” As Abe stomps over to my cell, he jangles a set of keys in his hand.
“How did you—what did you…?” I can’t get the words out, because I’m so confused it’s like I’m standing on the ceiling, and everything’s up instead of down, right instead of left, backwards and twisted. Abe’s helping me? I mean, he already did, but now he’s really helping me, like if-he-gets-caught-his-head-will-roll kind of helping.
“Later,” Abe says, turning a key in the lock. The cell door swings open.
I hear, “Abe?” from down the row. Buff stands up, rubbing his eyes, probably thinking he’s dreaming too.
“Yah, Fluff, it’s me and the whole gang.” He leaves me to gawk at Tower and Brock, who’re waiting by the door, Tower looking the other way. There’s a click and a moment later Buff’s by my side, as free as I am.
Everyone’s waking up now, making tired and curious noises. Wes crawls over to the bars, eyes as wide as if he’s been awake for hours. Abe says nothing, just opens his door too.
“We gotta go, kid,” Abe says to me. “We ain’t got a spare second ’fore more guards’ll come.”
I look at Skye, who’s looking back at me, horror all over her face. “What about them?” I say. What about her? I add in my head.
Abe shoots me a look, rolls his head around. “C’mon, kid, really? You expect me to break out a bunch of Heaters?”
“I’m the only Heater,” Circ says. “You can leave me if you like. Get the others out.”
“No,” Siena says. “If he stays, I stay.”
“You’re all stayin’ as far’s I’m concerned,” Brock growls. “Abe, we gotta go. Now!”
“You comin’ or what?” Abe says, staring at me and my two brothers, one by blood, one by everything else.
I look at Buff, then Wes, and last at Skye. Go, she mouths.
“Not without them,” I say. “All of them.”
~~~
It doesn’t take more than a minute for Abe to unlock all the cell doors. He doesn’t seem happy about it, but I think the thought of leaving empty handed is worse to him than leaving with his hands way fuller than he expected.
“Why’re you doing this?” I ask him as he snaps open the last lock, Skye’s. She’s watching us both curiously.
“Later,” Abe says.
“Thank you,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Don’t get all snowy on me or I’ll throw you back inside and eat the key,” Abe says.
“Thank you, too, Tower,” I say. Hightower, well, he does his usual. “And Brock,” I add, half-joking.
“Shut the chill up ’fore I smash yer face in,” Brock says. I shut up.
Abe moves for the door and so does everyone else, but I let them go past. Brock hands each of them a weapon as they pass by, a sword or an axe or a knife. The weapons gleam bright and new and look suspiciously like the ones the guards are always carrying.
The only one who doesn’t move is Skye, still in her cell. “This is our only chance,” I say.