Paul opened his eyes to Tamass’s concerned face above him and Tamass’s strong arm supporting his shoulders off the floor. His shackles were unpinned. As Tamass’s must be, too.
His chest was still hideously painful, but the branding iron was gone.
“You’ve been unconscious for an hour,” Tamass said. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Rake and all his demons were gone. In their place stood six demon soldiers in shining silver armour.
One of them spoke in a foreign language, but not the harsh one of Rake’s soldiers. When no one responded, he repeated his words in English with a cultured tone.
“I am Major Kuasir of the Nike Brigade. We have taken the castle. Rake’s army is all but defeated, except for a few small pockets of resistance. You are safe now, courtesy of the Lady Eudocia Alexis and the human warrior Molly Matthews, who sends her greetings.”
Kal the torturer lay dead in a corner of the dungeon, his head separated from his body.
The cavalry Paul had prayed for had arrived. Just a little later than he’d wished for.
Danali was supporting Jaun the same way Tamass was supporting him. He and his father held exhausted eye contact. They said nothing. There would be time for words later.
Wait. The human warrior Molly Matthews? What?
Major Kuasir cleared his throat. “The castle is on fire. You’re in no danger from that down here in the dungeons, but I am directed to take you to safety immediately by means of a distant window. Where would you like to go?”
Danali spoke a sentence in the major’s language.
Seconds later, they were back on the beach in Ba. The air was cool and refreshing. The Helen sat at anchor, exactly where they’d left her.
“Thank you,” Tamass said.
“You are welcome,” the major replied, and then he vanished.
“Noooooo!” Thea’s wail of distress carried clearly across the water from somewhere inside her ship.
Within a minute, her boat was being lowered and rowed rapidly to shore.
Tamass chuckled and gave Paul’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You’re for it now.”
Paul squinted. Nandi was standing in the boat beside Thea. “So are you.”