Ridley was cold to the touch but alive. I almost choked on the revelation, but I had to control my emotions. We were not out yet. I grabbed the shackle on his ankle and examined what I had to work with. It was thick so I couldn’t pull it apart, but the lock was simple enough to quickly pick open. Taking my hooks out I set to work, and soon enough they were open with a click. Pulling Ridley up I threw him into a long overdue hug.

“I’m so sorry I got you into this mess.”

“You came. That’s all that matters now.” Stepping back he turned his head towards Seth. “How about we get out of here?” I scowled.

“We aren’t out of the woods yet. I still don’t know the way out of here. I was hoping Anakh would remember the way back to Aurelio’s study?” Seth only shook his head.

“They knocked me out as soon as I left the room. I can’t tell you anything, sorry.” He looked ashamed as he shifted his weight.

“I know the way.” Interjected Ridley. “It was fifty years ago, but I’m sure I can get us close enough for us to sent our way out.” I couldn’t help a small smile from creeping across as I looked at them.

“Well, let’s get going then.” With small nods given as affirmations, I moved over to the door. Pressing my ear to the door I listened hard for any noise. When I couldn’t hear anything I motioned for them to go out of the door. Keeping guard as Ridley stilled, switching my eye patch to the other eye, I looked down both ends of the hall. It was moments like these I was thankful for my magical eye.

“This way. I can still hear the leak.” Seth looked over in confusion. I wanted to tell him how because of his loss of sight all of Ridley's senses were heightened. This included his magical sense of water. Because his father was Sobeck he had something like a sixth sense when it comes to any water. It sometimes acts like another form of sight. To be honest I didn’t fully get how it works, but it has proved useful in the past. Now was not the time though, Ridley was already sprinting down the hallway.

After sprinting down several hallways I noticed Seth lagging behind. He was breathing heavily and slightly limping as he tried to keep up. Feeling a pang of sympathy I tried to support him as we hurried along, but it was cumbersome at best. He stood significantly taller than me, and I was at this point more of a hindrance than a help. It was just bad luck that right as Seth tripped and fell onto the floor taking me with him, Ridley turned at the sound and ran straight into two sickeningly familiar faces.

“Oh, just the man we were looking for.” Foxglove crooned before looking up and cocking her head. “Algea is that you? My how the mighty have fallen.” She giggled. That was when the other woman with her stepped forward. Her face was a hard one to forget when she sat to the right of Enyo in every meeting I attended. That black hair, poison green eyes, and signature snake tattoo that wound around her shoulders and neck reminded me of times that have haunted me for years. Her name was Nox. She was known for her militaristic prowess and commanding air as she supported Enyo in her rise to power. Anytime there could potentially be a problem she was always there to fix it. These skills she brought with her into her second life having been a queen and infamous warlord before her first death at the hands of her successor.

My blood ran cold as she grabbed Ridley’s face making sure to squeeze his cheeks. She moved his head to the side as she cooly examined him.

“Well, I see Auelio lied.” She said as she dropped Ridley and looked at Fox. “I will have to revisit our previous discussion, but in the meantime, we should probably clean up this mess.” Standing tall I approached them.

“Hello Nox, Foxglove.” I nodded at each. “It’s been a long time.” My words were met with a small smile from Nox.

“It’s been too short, really, but here you are, the little kitten with nine lives. We should have drowned you years ago. Well, no time like the present.” She shrugged before summoning her obsidian dagger and lunging at me. I blocked the attack and attempted to twist the dagger out of her hands but she was clever too. She swept up and caught my jaw causing me to stagger back.

I quickly looked around and spotted Ridley struggling with Fox as Seth snuck up to them. My attention was once again drawn to Nox as she sunk the dagger into my side. I suppressed a cry as I summoned my weapon and my ankh necklace. “If it’s a fight she wants, it’s a fight she’ll get.” I snarled internally. Grabbing her hand twisting the blade inside me, I pulled it out and swung my blade at her neck. She dodged but I was able to slightly scratch her neck first. I could see beads of blood starting to well up as she stepped closer.

“You are nothing but a diseased creature playing a game too big for you to understand.” Nox stood regally over me before grabbing my dress and pulling me closer. “You might have impressed Enyo all those years ago, but you did not fool me. I practically begged Enyo to reconsider employing you. Obviously, she did not listen to me, and here we are, having to play a meaningless game.” She spat before leaning in. Her breath ghosted across my face as my pulse quickened, and the hand gripping my dress tightened. Hearing small ripping noises, I leaned away as she spoke once again. “I’m going to kill you now.”

“Yeah, no.” I thought as I leaned my whole weight back taking Nox with me. By the look on her face she had not expected me to resist. As my back hit the floor I brought my feet under her and kicked out. She arched beautifully into the wall with a loud crack. Briefly checking she wouldn’t be getting up I noted she would be fine but probably won’t be terrorizing any political opponents for a while.

Satisfied, I turned to the other three in the hallway. Seth was locked in a wrestling match with Fox as Ridley was still on the ground a few feet away. I could see his breathing, but the pool of blood was a little too big for my liking. The blood oozed from somewhere near his head. Luckily, the blood was barely adding to the pool by this point. I could treat it later. Turning back to the more pressing matter I saw Seth struggling to hold Fox in a choke hold. He was bleeding from a bruise on his upper cheek while other bruises were blossoming all over any seeable skin.

That was when Fox elbowed him hard in the ribs. Apparently there was an unseen injury because Seth immediately let go with a cry. He curled in on himself as Fox kicked him hard again in the ribs.

“Fox.” I growled slowly as I stepped forward. “That’s enough don’t you think?” She froze. Turning around slowly, a look of fear was quickly replaced with rage.

“You don’t get to order me around.” She screamed. “You lost that right when you left me!” Turning quickly she kicked Seth so hard I heard bones break before he was sent skidding across the floor. Wincing to myself, I gripped the handle to my blade harder as a way to control the urge to walk over there and slap her. She had the audacity to look smug as she turned back to me, and I lost it.

Before I could even approach my idiotic ex pupil, a loud voice boomed from the adjoining hall.

“Algea stop!” It was Aurelio with a group of guards. He was still slightly flushed with alcohol, but an air of command radiated off him.

“Why should I? She almost killed my teammates and was leading Nox to them as well.” I was tired. I was so close to getting everyone out of this godsforsaken place only to be caught again.

“Algea, please. Just put down the weapon and we can go talk this out. As you pointed out your friends are injured. You may be able to take us all out now, but what about carrying your friends back and defending them from the other several hundred guards that will come looking for you?” I hated when he talked reasonably when all I wanted to do was walk away.

“Fine! However, if I find that they are not healed and were, in fact, hurt more, I will kill everyone in this complex making you watch as their blood pools at your feet.” I could feel the fear coming off of everyone in the room. I could only imagine what I looked like, but I got my point across. Getting rid of my weapon, I followed the obviously shaking guards.