“I didn’t say that either.” Loki shrugged, apparently tiring of the conversation. “I’m saying that since I can’t help you with your friends, we ought to find something else to do.”
“I’m not doing anything else until I get them,” I insisted.
“But you haven’t heard what I’d like to do instead.” His expression changed from morose to playful, and there was something in his eyes that made me feel funny.
Not bad, and not the same as when he made me pass out. It wasn’t a magic Vittra power or anything. It was just a look that made me feel sort of … fluttery inside.
Before I had time to analyze what I felt or what he meant, a loud banging at the main doors interrupted us. The hall where we stood contained two sets of doors—the ones leading to the lower level, and the massive ones leading outside. These dwarfed the ones in the King’s and Queen’s chambers.
The banging came again, making me jump, and Loki moved in front of me. Was he protecting me? Or hiding me?
The doors flew open, and joy surged through me.
Tove had blown the doors open with his abilities, and he stood on the other side of them, looking astonishingly badass. Tove was a rather foxy and very powerful Trylle I’d known in F?rening. His quirky, antisocial personality had endeared him to me, but he was also the last person I’d expected to see here. His abilities did allow him to move objects with his mind, though, so he was a very powerful ally to have.
Then I caught sight of who he had with him. Duncan and Finn stood behind him, letting him throw open the doors while they waited to rush in. As soon as I saw Finn, my heart wanted to explode.
I’d been so afraid he had been hurt or I might never see him again, and there he was.
“Finn! You’re okay!” I rushed past Loki and ran to Finn.
I threw my arms around him, and for a brief second he hugged me. The strength of his embrace let me know how worried he had been about me. But almost as soon as I felt it, he cut it short, and pushed me away.
“Wendy, we have to get out of here,” Finn said, as if I’d suggested that we vacation here.
“Matt and Rhys are here. We have to get them first.”
I turned to start telling Finn about the dungeon, and I saw that Tove had Loki pinned up high on the wall. Tove stood several feet back, holding his hand out at Loki, and Loki hung suspended in the air, his face grimacing in pain.
“No, Tove! Don’t hurt him!” I yelled.
Tove glanced at me but didn’t question my command. He lowered Loki to the floor and released him, leaving Loki gasping for breath. Loki held his side, bending over.
Tove wasn’t a violent guy by nature, but after the horrible battle he’d had with the Vittra a few days ago, I didn’t blame him for being a little preemptive.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Duncan said, grabbing my arm as if he meant to drag me out. I glared at him, and he instantly dropped his hand. “Sorry, Princess. But we need to hurry.”
“I’m not leaving without Matt and Rhys,” I reiterated, and turned to Loki. “Will you help me get them?”
His eyes met mine, and his cocky demeanor had completely disappeared. He looked conflicted and pained, and I knew it wasn’t just from Tove hurting him. A few moments ago, he’d seemed to understand what I was going through, but he’d felt unable to help. Now he had a chance, an excuse, and I hoped he would take it.
“We can come back for them,” Finn said.
Nobody had rushed to the hall yet to investigate the commotion, but it was only a matter of time before someone did. And I knew it would serve us well not to tangle with Oren.
“No. We can’t leave. If we do, he’ll kill them.” I kept my eyes on Loki, pleading with him. “Loki, please.”
“Princess…” Loki let his voice trail off.
“Tell the King we overpowered you. Blame it all on us,” I said. “He never needs to know you helped us.”
Loki didn’t answer immediately, and that was too long for Finn. He left my side and went over to Loki, grabbing his arm roughly.
“Where are they?” Finn demanded, but Loki didn’t respond.
Knowing we had to hurry, I ran toward the dungeon and everyone followed, Finn dragging Loki along with us. “This way,” I said with anxious fervor.
I threw open the basement door and almost tumbled down the stairs in my hurry, but Finn caught my arm before I fell. Duncan actually did trip, thanks to his shoelaces, and I rolled my eyes as I waited for him to catch up.
“What the heck is that?” Duncan asked when he saw the hobgoblin guarding Matt and Rhys’s cell. It wasn’t Ludlow, but a hobgoblin just like him.
They all stopped short at the sight of him. The shocked reaction of Duncan, Finn, and Tove pleased me. Apparently I wasn’t the only one unfamiliar with this particular type of Vittra. I wasn’t sure if that meant Oren was very good at keeping secrets or if Elora was, but I had a feeling it was probably both.