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“I can give you a route to the dungeons. You will have to go through the palace, but I can get you there. Then there are tunnels that lead into the dungeons. The enforcers have a private entrance just beyond Selim’s temple. Although you will still have to get past the guards when you get there.”

“We have a way into the dungeons,” says Opeth. “Razelii has arranged for us to meet one of the dungeon guards. If we can get into the Palace, we can make our connection with her. She will get us inside.”

“I see,” says the Hare with a nod. “The same route that would have taken you to the dungeons has a staircase that will lead you discreetly to the lower floors of the palace. I will show you the way there.”

Damon nods. “Very well.”

The Hare leads them in silence out of the library through another locked iron gate along another passage and down a long flight of steps. “This,” he says quietly, “is an old route to the palace, long forgotten.” He stops at what seems like a blank piece of stone wall, but when he presses on it, it moves. It’s not a wall, it’s a door, and behind it, more steps, leading even further down.

They emerge in yet another passageway. This one dank, deep under the palace. It leads to a spiral staircase, old and rusty. Damon glances further down the passage. That way must lead to the dungeons. They climb up a long way and emerge behind a statue of Princess Ferra in a wide, quiet marble hall of the Rose Palace.

“Where is the meeting point with Razelii?” Damon whispers.

“Beyond the north terrace. There is a servants' corridor there with a small storeroom.”

Damon nods. “I know it,” he says and leads the way.

When they reach the storeroom, Trysta opens the door and gasps. Razelii is inside, bound and gagged. Her face is bruised. Trysta rushes forward, she cuts Razelii free with her sword. At the same moment, Opeth hisses, “No. Fall back. It’s a trap.”

But too late. Damon spins around at a slight noise at his back and is faced with five armed palace guards.

One of the guards takes a half step forward. His sword is drawn and he points it at Damon’s throat. “Damon Darekul. It is death for you to be in Azuria.”

What Damon does next feels like falling from a high cliff into darkness. Natural, inevitable and terrifying. The One Man Army wakes and Damon surges forward, the guard’s sword means nothing. He’s too fast, too strong, too unstoppable. He’s inside the reach of the long blade in a heartbeat. He sinks his dagger into the guard's neck.

Another sword, coming from his left side, finds his arm. Just a slash. He grabs the sword from the hand of the dead guard, turns and rises and takes down the man who cut him with a vicious two-handed slash that almost slices the guard clean in half.

This has to be quick. Quiet if possible. No showboating. No tricks. He fights two more guards at once. Delivering fatal blows and taking only shallow cuts from frantic blades.

As he fights, he can sense Trysta behind him, holding his line, covering his weak side. It’s too easy. Breath and breathing. His body is weak and protests at moments, but every skill he ever had flows back into him with a simple inevitability.

The guards lie dead in blurring, bloody moments. One from his dagger, three from his borrowed blade and one from Trysta’s sword.

Damon turns, panting, to find Opeth crouching next to Razelii, holding a knife to her throat.

Trysta turns her sword to Opeth. “What are you doing?” she says in a low tone, a warning.

“She knew,” Opeth says plainly. “She set this up.”

“No,” Razelii squeaks. “No, they surprised me.”

“How did they know we were coming?” Opeth says, low. A threat.

“No. They jumped me. I don’t know how they knew,” Razelii wails.

Opeth pricks Razelii’s throat with the blade. Next to him, Damon hears Trysta growl. This is dangerous. He forces himself to breathe evenly. “Trysta,” he says, quietly. “Stay in control.”

Trysta flashes a glance at him.

“Sheath your sword, soldier. Right now.”

Trysta obeys, with a look at Damon he hasn’t seen from her since he bested her on Pluma-Ferris.

“I’m sorry,” Razelii says, a fat tear rolls down her cheek.

“The truth,” Opeth snaps. “The truth now, or you go the way of your friends.”

“They’re not my friends. He came back to the pillow house. The bodyman. He wanted Opeth and when he found out she was gone, he realised what he’d done. He took me to Prince Atticul. He made me tell him everything. I didn’t want to but he said he’d have you killed.” Razelii looks at Trysta with eyes full of tears. She looks at Opeth next. “And you. He said he’d kill you both. I’m sorry.”