Page 52 of Within the Flames

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"I don't see that you've left me with much choice," she replied begrudgingly.

GOOD.

The choking stopped and Macey sighed in relief. She reached out to Rónàn but the Mahoun's presence in her mind stopped her. She shivered. He hadn't been able to reach out like that in a while.

COME.

The doors to the Keep creaked open, leading into the darkness beyond.

Without saying a word, she turned away from her men and stepped towards certain danger. She couldn't bring herself to care though. As if the Voice hadn't done enough already, he was now actively threatening her men's lives. Not that he hadn't been before, but it felt more personal now and she wasn't about to have that.

The walk between their spot and the doors was surprisingly lengthy, and yet it took no time at all. She didn't look back. If she did, she'd lose her conviction and run back to safety. Or perceived safety at any rate. In reality, there was no real safe haven while the Mahoun lived on.

The doors slammed shut behind her, leaving her completely blind. Still, she walked on, eager to get to where she needed to be and face what she had to. The sooner this was over, the better as far as Macey was concerned.

Turning a corner, she stepped into a pool of light and had to shield her eyes, a slight cry of alarm leaking from her. The very tips of her fingers tingled as the magic inside urged to be released. It could sense the danger around them no doubt, but she wasn't ready to unleash it and let it play. She was still hoping that the Mahoun hadn't realised she held the powers of all seven elements yet. Even if he only suspected, she wanted to keep him in the dark for as long as possible.

She stepped out of the light and back into the thick black darkness around them. There was a part of her which was convinced this was nothing more than an illusion.

I'VE BEEN WONDERING, MACEY...

The Voice was almost pleasant again, seductive even. She said nothing. She wouldn't give in to his call even if she wanted to.

CAN YOU FIND ME THROUGH THE MEMORIES?

She braced herself, unsure about what she would be faced with. Would he throw memories of her childhood at her or something more sinister? Her time here even?

Cries started up as soon as she had that thought but the sounds weren't ones she recognised. These were the screams of innocents. Fellow victims of the Voice who hadn't managed to escape like she had. Her heart sank. Could she cope with the torture reaching her ears? She could swear there were even the cries of children hidden among the pain.

She soldiered on, trying to ignore the distractions. There was no time to dwell on this. People still living needed her more than the dead did at this point.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, only then realising that tears were falling quickly down her cheeks. If she could have seen properly, she was sure they'd have splashed against the floor too.

She turned another corner, the darkness still thick around her. This time, there was light at the end though, and not the blinding light of earlier either. It was softer, more like firelight.

If only that was reassuring. After her time with the lampads, she doubted she'd ever find fire comforting again. Unless it was coming from Flint that was.

Stepping into the light, her vision returned slowly and she noticed a single black clad figure in the middle of the room, a hood covering his head and features.

She wasn't sure how she knew, but this was definitely the Mahoun. Or as human as the Mahoun got.

I'M IMPRESSED.

"You should be," she responded, not having any more time for his games. She could still hear the faint cries of the people he'd tortured but was just about managing to block them out. A small kernel of guilt grew in her stomach over that. She shouldn't be ignoring those in pain. She was a Warden. It was her job to protect the world and all that lived in it, no matter the cost to herself.

Holding on to that thought as tightly as she could, she straightened her spine and met the Mahoun's invisible gaze.

"What do you want from me?" she demanded.

EVERYTHING.

"How specific," she muttered, unimpressed by his evil speech giving skills. Wasn't this where he was supposed to monologue his entire plot to her while she created a mad plan of her own that somehow worked despite all the odds?

She'd been reading too many books.

YOU WILL SURRENDER THE WARDENS TO ME.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I'm only one of them," she pointed out.