Page 68 of Truth's Blade

As she said it, she pulled out another piece of paper and began to paint something on it.

While she was busy doing it, Theo stepped to the painting she had left to dry, plucked up what looked like a key that had suddenly appeared on it, and tried to open Caro’s shackles.

“Too small,” he said.

“I was afraid to make them too big,” Melodie answered, grimacing. “It will take time to get it exactly right.”

She set the second piece of paper in the sun, took the now blank page she’d drawn the key on and began to paint something else.

Theo had moved from Caro to Ivan, and tried to insert the key into his shackles. “No.” He pulled back in frustration, and then lunged at what must have been a hand tong, not that Viviane had ever heard of one, or even seen it.

“Brace,” Theo said to Ivan as he inserted the tongs into the shackle on his left ankle. He widened the handles.

The metal groaned as it was pushed outward, and with a final crack, it separated.

Theo bent to Gallain’s ankle, but as he did, Vivi saw the hand tong wisp away to nothing.

Theo turned, as if there was no doubt there would be a replacement for him, and plucked it off its resting place on the paper, just as Melodie placed another painting in the sun.

“She makes it real, and then it disappears.” Genevieve’s words were hushed.

Theo had got Gallain free when they all heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel.

“He just needs to look at the broken door to know I’m here,” Melodie whispered. “It won’t be a surprise.” She pointed behind the door. “Hide.”

Theo shook his head. “We both hide. I’m going to cut him down.”

She gave a nod, and Vivi saw she’d been packing away her magic painting set, and as she moved to stand up against the wall behind the door, she folded a shirt over the top of her bag, covering the contents completely before she closed the flap.

Theo stepped in front of her, blocking her body, his sword raised.

His face was grim and his expression was flat.

But Marchant saw the door was broken before he even reached it.

“Who’s in there?” he called out.

Theo shook his head to tell them to all keep quiet.

“Is it you, little girl?” Marchant’s voice was a mix of excitement and fear. “Is it you breaking down my door?”

Everyone remained absolutely still.

Viviane saw Melodie and Theo exchange a quick look with each other, and she guessed Melodie had already had a run-in with Marchant. And come out of it unscathed.

He was frightened of her.

“You want to lure me in, but I’m not going to do that.” Marchant’s voice was sing song.

The silence stretched out.

Genevieve reached out and grabbed Vivi’s hand, and a quick glance told her the boys looked as tense as she felt.

The four soldiers had risen to their feet, and Ivan and Gallain were loosening their shoulders, readying for a fight.

Marchant wouldn’t last a moment if he stepped through the door, and Vivi guessed he suspected as much.

“I know the prisoners are still in there. You don’t have a key to their shackles and there’s no way you could have freed them all since I was last in there. So I’m going to make a deal with you.”

---