Jet glanced back, then lifted the pendant. Blue light glowed from its magic circle. “Limits, release!”

The same blue light burst from Gideon’s collar. He yanked at it, adjusting it uncomfortably. “It feels so awkward when you do that. ‘Go forth, kill!’ What am I, a warhound?”

“Warhounds are less obnoxious,” Jet replied, deadpan.

Gideon pressed his lips together, then shrugged and tilted his head. “Granted.”

Angel, Elly, Kat, and Leo backed into the chamber behind them. Jet stood in the doorway, blue light emanating from his raised sword. Gideon stood a few paces behind him, tome in hand, other hand outstretched, ready to cast. “Angel, ready?”

“Ready whenever you are,” Angel replied, doing a few last stretches. She bounced in place and shook herself out, then stared ahead, ready to dance.

Leo brandished the torch. Elly raised her staff. Kat cowered, hunkering behind Elly.

Rumbling sounded behind them. Leo whirled and let out a startled squeak. A stone slab descended from the ceiling the hallway they’d entered through, sealing off the entrance.

“The door’s closing!” Elly shouted. She ran for it, dragging Kat with her, but the girl stumbled and fell. Elly stopped, helping her up.

Leo sprinted past both of them. He grabbed the stone slab and heaved. His thin arms bulged, veins standing out on his neck. The stone continued to descend despite all his efforts, completely unhindered by his efforts to stop it. He sank down with the slab, knees bending, back arching.

“Leo! Let go! You’re going to tear yourself apart!” Elly shouted.

Leo’s fingers slipped. He stumbled back and fell onto his rear. The stone thudded down, slamming into its threshold.

“We’re trapped! They’re going to feed me to the dragon,” Kit wailed. Tears streamed down her face once more.

Black-robed men rushed down the hallway toward Jet. In the rear, one of the men halted and held a tome aloft, jabbing his finger forward. “Retrieve the Holy Sacrifice! Our god must be appeased!”

Jet slashed out at them. Blocks of ice flew through the air at the black-robed men. The first one took a block in the face and fell backward, the second ducked, and the third smashed directly through the block with a sharp-edged mace.

“Die, dragon, die!” A bolt of lightning shot over Jet’s shoulder and slammed into the mace-wielder. Static shock played over Jet’s body, flickering past his shoulder. The mace wielder jolted, shuddering where he stood, then fell backward.

The black-cloaked mage raised his tome. “Waters surge, oceans tumble. I call upon the swirling waves!”

A puddle suddenly formed around Gideon’s feet. From that puddle, a cylinder of water surged upward. Gideon jumped backward, but too slow. Water closed in around him, swallowing him whole. He clawed at the water, kicking for the surface, but failed to break through. He clutched at his throat. Bubbles of air floated up.

Jet charged forward, teeth bared. Dammit, after everything I’ve been through, I’m not going to let some shitty back-country mage kill this asshole!

Frost accumulated on the walls around him as he slashed. Icy blades whirled through the air with each attack he made. He cut down the lead attacker and danced to the next. Ready for him, the man cut at his stomach with a dagger. Jet launched a block of ice at his own gut, blocking the blow. Icy weight slammed into him, knocking the air out of him. He narrowed his eyes and pressed on, racing for the mage.

The mage retreated, black robes flapping. His eyes flew wide, whites reflecting the blue light of Jet’s sword. Even as Jet thrust into his gut, his lips curled into a smile. “For the Holy Ones!”

Water geysered into Jet from behind the mage. It lifted him off his feet and threw him backward, little more than a ragdoll in the water’s grip. He smashed into the ground, the wall, the ceiling, the ground again. Everything swirled into a mess of pale stone and water.

He thumped down in a mess of limbs and rolled over the stone floor. Stunned, Jet laid there, staring at the broken chain swinging high above. Ow.

Beside him, Gideon struck the floor with a thump, coughing up water, greasy hair pasted to his forehead. He shoved himself halfway up, only to collapse again as another bout of coughing wracked his frame.

Stone rumbled. Jet surged up to a half-sit. Stone slabs descended, sealing each of the three paths ahead. The mage he’d stabbed grinned wide. Blood stained his teeth red. He coughed again, spitting blood down the front of his robes, and staggered back. “For… the Holy…”

The stone slammed shut.

Sealed. We’re stuck in here. Jet rolled over and shoved himself to his knees. He caught his breath, ran a hand through his hair, and climbed to his knees. Sniffing, he rubbed his face, then looked down at Gideon, still struggling on the floor. “You done?”

“Not… really, I could…” he coughed some more, cutting himself off.

Jet looked down at the bedraggled Gideon, hair a soaked mess, robes clinging to his bony body, little more than a wet rat, unable to so much as speak. He smiled to himself, somehow satisfied. I don’t mind this. This… is a good feeling, standing over him like this.

“Sa… sadist,” Gideon spluttered.

Jet took a step back. “Excuse me?”

Gideon smirked. “Oh, did that one hit home? Sorry for awakening you like this. I guess now you’ll have to face your perverse desires for the rest of your life… ah, Jet, how could you? Your family will be so—”

Jet turned his eyes to the curved ceiling above, searching for meaning in the empty white stone. It was so nice and quiet for a whole ten seconds…

Elly drew up alongside them, looking from Jet to Gideon. “Do either of you need healing?”

“Save your staff,” Gideon said.

“Only a few bruises. I’ll be fine,” Jet said.

Angel coughed. “Not to break up this little… whatever was happening over there, but… we’re trapped.”

Jet turned, taking in the chamber. Stone sealed the four paths, three ahead, one behind. The four apertures in the wall remained, about the size of a fist and dark, too dark to see what waited at their end. He sighed deeply.

“At least we killed their water mage. Don’t have to worry about them drowning us,” Gideon pointed out.

“Unless they have another one,” Kat replied, her voice trembling.

“Don’t talk like that,” Jet muttered.

Almost in the same instant, water began seeping under the three inward-facing doors. Angel backed away, licking her lips nervously. “This isn’t how I wanted to go. There aren’t even dragon cultists anymore, dammit!”

“I’m not sure you non-lightning mages know this, but lightning and water aren’t a great mix,” Gideon said. He jumped to his feet and retreated toward the sealed entrance.

Elly closed her eyes and clasped her staff tight. “O High God, I seek your counsel. In this the most dire of moments…”