A week after Alicia told David her crazy plan, he led a team into the temple of Balek.

  Elisha adjusted the priest's robe, hissing at the discomfort. David glared at him. He’d been wearing his armor for so long, it had felt like a part of him. But for the night, they couldn’t be seen. David glanced behind him, where the rest of his team walked with practiced stiffness. Delon walked awkwardly, like a tired soldier.

  If David hadn’t seen the man spar with Selass and Grant two days ago, he would have doubted his usefulness.

  They walked down the hallway of the temple, following Alicia’s direction. The robes had helped them get into the temple. David’s golden collar helped them take the stairs leading below the main temple, to the labyrinth of prisons, halls, and rooms.

  He adjusted the glasses on his eyes, hoping his new face was good enough to fool the guards. Fortunately, they had not met any of the high priests yet, but David knew they would soon. The essence in the area had grown denser as they traveled down. And soon it would be difficult for ordinary acolytes to stay in such a place.

  “Get ready,” David whispered, turning into another set of stairs that led them farther down. He heard voices below. Whispers that soon turned to clear words.

  As they approached the guards. David noted the difference in robes. While the acolytes wore plain black with their hoods pulled down to cover their faces, these were different. Their robes were edged in purple with purple sashes around their waists.

  They bowed on seeing David’s robe. He wasn’t sure how Alicia had gotten a hold of it, but it was perfect. The gold embroidery of Balek’s sigil and the marks of his station. The golden rings on the sleeves, encircling his whole right arm, fourteen in total.

  His hood of swirling shadow blocked ordinary scrutiny. Alicia had suggested it was important to show power and Elisha was happy to help. These priests were stronger than the guards they met guarding the floors above, but David felt the fear radiating from them.

  They scurried to push the stone door, opening the way further down. As David passed, he heard one of the priests mutter something.

  He stopped and cocked his head at the man.

  “Our Lord before self,” he proclaimed and the priest bowed even deeper.

  “Before self,” the zealot whispered back, terrified that David had heard him. David nodded and left them. His team followed behind. He heard a grunt behind and then the doors were shut behind them.

  So Balek leads with fear and devotion, Ignis rumbled. David couldn’t tell if what he felt from the dragon was envy or admiration. You go farther into the bowels of the enemy, David. Are you sure you trust this plan?

  David ignored the dragon. He didn’t want to think about the many ways this could go wrong. He didn’t trust Alicia, but this was the only way to get into the temple without alerting the priests and Shadows.

  “How far are we?” Elisha asked. David glanced back at him. The others followed silently. Not for the first time, David wished Chloe, Gil and Carlos were with them.

  And once again, he reminded himself they were safer out there, waiting for him. Zoey seemed to have gotten comfortable in her role. She dragged Orna, Selass, Grant, and Jom behind her quietly.

  David stopped in the middle of the passage. The walls here were bare. The stones were cold to his touch, but there was a faint smell in the air. Perhaps the rotting dead.

  He had a few guesses as to why the essence farther down was thicker and harsher than it was above, but he didn’t want to think about it.

  “Selass,” David called. The woman straightened as if David had used Alicia’s voice to summon her. The chains from her shackles jingled as she walked forward to stand by David. “You recall what Alicia asked you to do?”

  The woman glared at him. She couldn’t see through Elisha’s shadow hood, but she knew he could see her. Her arrogance amused David, but he didn’t have the patience for that. He repeated the question.

  “I do,” She said, her voice icy. There was something worrying about her, but she wasn’t a threat to him.

  “Good,” David said. “You have to be fast. Once we reach the room, the Shadows will attack. I will need all of you there by that time.”

  “You don’t think one of us should follow them?” Elisha asked, his tone accusatory. David hissed. His eyes stayed on the woman before him. Her hood was pulled back to show a small scar down her neck. With magic, she could have removed it. She chose to leave it there.

  Selass nodded and turned away. Grant and Jom followed her. Jom was a larger man than Selass.

  Perhaps even stronger. David didn’t know.

  “It is not wise to doubt Selass,” Delon said behind Elisha. David watched the three slip away. They took the left bend, using the navigation Alicia explained to them. David recalled how weak Alicia had been before they left. She had traced most of the labyrinth. Since much of it was carved with essence, it was easy for her to move around.

  “We don’t have time,” Zoey said, but David was already moving. Orn undid the shackle binding her wrists. David gestured for Elisha to undo the hood. The shadow pulled into him and disappeared. He quickly took off the robe, tearing it apart, and quickly replaced it with his armor.

  Delon pulled his sword from under his robe and nodded to David.

  David adjusted the spectacles he borrowed from Kalmar. The man had made him promise to bring it back undamaged. David took it off and felt the change slide through him. He shuddered, hating the process.

  Contractual Transformation has been undone!

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  He put the spectacles in his pocket as he wriggled his nose and stretched his mouth. Sensation returned slowly, but by the time they reached the end of the next staircase, the transformation was forgotten.

  David would have preferred to keep using the disguise all the way down, but he knew they’d sooner see through it. That would be messy.

  Elisha rushed past him as they reached the landing. His speed didn’t surprise David, but the swiftness of his attack did. One of the three priests manning the door was fast to react, but Elisha’s dagger sank into his head before he could do anything.

  The last man conjured some kind of armor over his robe. Orna appeared behind him, her invisibility spell peeling off her as her blade sliced open the back of his neck. Blood sprayed on her face and hair, she seemed unbothered by it.

  So she was the one hiding them, Ignis said. David confirmed the thought. He leaned on the stone door and pushed. He didn’t even need to push hard. The stone groaned as it scarped the ground. The next passage was longer and different from the others they had passed so far. The cells they saw above were empty. Some of the rooms looked like they had been used at some point, but were now abandoned.

  Here, David heard the moans and cries of sufferers. Zoey stretched to look into one and flinched from it. David took a look inside and frowned. There was no light inside, but David scarcely needed it to see the winged woman inside.

  It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t staring at wings. The skin of her back had been ripped and spread open on either side of her. Her hands were held up too. He was hanging slightly off the ground. He stepped away from the horror.

  From cell to cell, they saw more of the terrible things locked away. Some weren’t humans. One had a large beast and near it was what was left of a foot. It growled at David, too full to charge at him.

  “The Watcher must know about this, right?” David asked. “They allow this?”

  “They were appointed Watcher by Balek, Lord Ruler,” Delon said. David scowled at the man. He was tired of the title. “No one believes the Watcher is impartial. We just have to tow the lines, making sure we don’t overstep.”

  Sounds stupid, Ignis said. I would like to see this watcher. In my time, Balek’s tower was still incomplete. I couldn’t explore it.

  “Watchers are strong,” Aza added. There was a vague neutrality to his voice. “Unlike you, their realm is smaller, which helps them concentrate their power.”

  David gestured for Delon to walk with him. The old man ambled past Elisha who got a sudden interest to talk to Orna. The woman seemed uncomfortable, but she didn’t disappear. Zoey walked alone.

  “Have you seen the Watcher before?” David asked.

  Delon shook his head. “No one sees them. You can only feel their torch. It can be scorching hot, bone-chilling cold, or with comforting warmth. I have heard stories, Lord Ruler.”

  David nodded and called to his brother.

  Elisha rushed over to him and Delon slowed so he could give them privacy to speak. David nodded to the old man and leaned closer to whisper his plan to Elisha.

  From the twinkle in Elisha’s eyes, David knew he liked the plan. Somehow, his younger brother had come to like chaos. David almost laughed at that. His parents—if they were alive—would be shocked.

  “We are close,” David called as they reached the end of the passage As they descended the stone steps, David listened once more to the cries of those the Balek church had stolen, tortured, and used. It left a bitter taste in his mouth; a heaviness in his chest.

  He was about to use them too. He turned his back to the passage of horrors and followed the others down.

  David felt it as they reached the end of the steps. It wasn’t just the strength of the spell, it was the murkiness. The stench. It filled the whole place, slipping out the walls. And according to Alicia, the priests were in the hall at the farthest end. It ate at him, like rust consuming steel.

  It made sense that no human could guard this place. They would run mad—protection or not.

  Zoey hissed, pulling back when he saw the first Shadow. These made Elisha’s armor look like a painted toy. They seemed to ooze essence. Dark, corrupting essence. They were the best guards for this level of the labyrinth.

  “Elisha, Delon, Orna.”

  Orna had already vanished. David stayed back and watched them work. Zoey itched to join, but this was not her fight.

  The four Shadows moved soundlessly, covering the small distance in a leap. Orna attacked from every corner. David could sense her movement, following the arch of her attack paths. Delon still wouldn’t unsheathe his sword. With the sheathe he pummeled the Shadows. They were both Ranker level after all, and David wasn’t sure these Shadows were high in the temple’s rankings. They gave off a considerably lesser aura than the twelve David saw the other night.

  He dodged around the battle, leading Zoey through to the door. The stone was heavier, but it wasn’t difficult to push.

  You have entered a Sacred Place!

  The curse spell [Sloth] has been used!

  The curse spell [Quick Affliction] has been used!

  The curse spell [Vast Emptiness] has been used!

  David gestured for Zoey to wait while he entered. He felt the effect of the spells. Time seemed to stretch and his every action dragged. His body ached, and then a furnace erupted in his chest. Blood dripped down his ears and his vision blurred.

  “Not yet,” Aza warned when David tried to negate the spells. The plan depended on his ability to bear the suffering.

  The curse spell False Sense has been used!

  David cursed as sand poured on him. He tried to stand up from the pit in the stone floor but vines shot from the ground, wrapping around him. They pulled him back down and held him in place. More sand poured on him until his vision was blotted out. Breathing was hard, and he felt the sand gain even more weight.

  “My Lord has delivered you to me,” A voice said. “You thought you were above my esteemed Lord? The arrogance of humans.”

  Davi stretched his senses, knowing none of what he was feeling was real. The harder he fought though, the tighter the illusion wrapped him in.

  “You could have stayed away from this suffering,” The High Priest said. David grinned, falling to one knee. “He admired you. Our Lord would have made you one of the brightest stars. And you spa… argh!”

  David heard the first arrow whisper past his head, shattering the illusions as it buried itself in the High Priest’s chest. Then another arrow, followed by six more. All glowing with Zoey’s essence.

  David shook the illusion quickly enough to see the High Priest die. He had a man’s face, but the horns jutting out his temples and the two black eyes above the normal ones meant he was not.

  “What is that?” Zoey asked, running over to him. Behind her, the skirmish continued.

  “I don’t know, but the real fight is coming to us,” David said through dragging breath. Once again, he missed Chloe. She would have healed him immediately.

  The affliction spell had done some damage, but he’d minimized its effect with a slight resistance instead of completely erasing the attack with his attack.

  “David,” Zoey whispered.

  “Yeah,” David said, staring at the mass of Shadow spilling down from the roof of the passage. It split apart slowly, shaping into individual monsters. These were the real enemies. And behind them, coming out of the room at the end were two high priests.

  David summoned his sword.