“Camryn tried to help?” I said. I’d barely given the red-head a single thought lately, and this made me feel guilty.
“A few times.” Jack nodded, “In the end she said it was no use, and got worried that we would be put down there as well. We fought about it a lot, and we aren’t really on speaking terms at the moment, so I didn’t ask her to help after the fight.”
“There was no need to lose a friendship over it.” I said quietly, feeling quite hurt that Camryn had given up on me, and even tried to convince Jack that it was hopeless.
Jack shrugged and I saw guilt flicker across his face, “I did stop trying for a couple of days, though I sat in my room night after night thinking up new ideas. I considered trying to find Hawthorne but I remembered that R?ven had told us about the Creeley brothers capturing him, so I knew it would be useless.”
My heart panged at the sound of Hawthorne’s name.
“But then I realized.” Jack smiled, “R?ven.”
“You sought her out.” I smiled. It wasn’t a question.
“I cornered R?ven after her shift at the Messenger Service shop and told her what had happened to you, where you were, and how long you had been down there. At first her face was blank and I was certain she would just walk away, but then she took my hand and led me here, to her house.” Jack looked around the room in awe, “Of course she didn’t talk much. I gathered that she wanted to help so I made some plans, explained them to her and she merely nodded.”
I smiled, “So you both came to get me?”
Jack nodded, “We snuck into the dungeons and met no guards for a long while, but as we got closer to the cells they were everywhere. At every entrance. Oh lord, Ava, did we ever leave an enormous trail behind us.” He shook his head.
“How did you get past them?”
Jack frowned, “I was absolutely useless down there. I would have been slaughtered if it wasn’t for R?ven. I threw a few punches, knocked a couple of guards out, but then there were too many of them and I thought we were done for. R?ven was pinned to the floor by this big burly bloke but she managed to give me this knowing look and I instantly stuffed my fingers in my ears. She let out this dreadful wail of a song. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.” He gave a little shudder, “It was beautiful, yet so terrifying. I can’t imagine what hearing the full blast of it must have felt like. Suddenly the guards let go of us and were twitching on the ground, like a seizure. After a few seconds they went still and didn’t move. I thought she had killed them.”
My mouth dropped open as I listened with keen interest.
“I checked for a pulse on the nearest guard, and found one though it was very weak.” Jack looked at me seriously, “You know, I think R?ven might be able to kill with a simple song. Even though I had had my ears blocked I still felt shaky and had to throw up my breakfast.”
The thought terrified me. What an incredible power. I hadn’t heard of such a terrifying gift, and to think R?ven had been given two Powers. I wondered if she preferred one over the other, or if she wished that she had only been born with one. I thought it must be awful not being able to talk without affecting everyone within earshot.
“So after that it was easy sailing.” Jack smiled warmly, “We met only a few more Mages and R?ven sang a little song and they fell fast asleep. Once again I was absolutely useless and she had to slap me around a little bit to wake me up.” He said sheepishly.
I squeezed Jack’s hand before he continued.
“There are a lot of rooms down there, and many cells. I checked at least ten or so empty cells before I stumbled into your one. I saw many bodies in there and the place reeked of death and human feces. None of the bodies moved, and I could see by the light shining in that they were all dead humans. But then one particular body caught my eye.
“Your hair was lank and matted, your bones jutting out. There were plates of food around you – untouched. You were curled in a ball and ever so still … I thought … I thought.” Jack cleared his throat harshly in an attempt to sound more masculine.
“You thought I was dead.” I said quietly.
Jack nodded, “I rushed into the cell using a set of keys I had stolen from an unconscious guard … I … I-”
“You held me.” I recalled faintly.
Jack nodded and it seemed he was fighting back the urge to hold me again. I would not have objected.
Jack met my eyes, “But then you spoke.” He smiled faintly.
“I said your name.” I remembered.
We were silent for a long while and simply stared at each other. I could not put my gratitude into words, though it seemed Jack’s conscience was feeling guilt at having found me in such a poor state, though there really was no need to worry anymore for I was perfectly fine at the moment. The medical supplies Jack had bought in the marketplace had done a magical job. I was rather sure I could walk right now if I dared. Perhaps I might be a bit unstable, though that was to be expected.