The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [193]
They pass through the interrogation room with the four torches and then move quickly down the corridor with the cell doors lining both sides.
When they reach the room with the lone guard that Aleya had killed with her arrow, James holds out his hand and says, “Let me have the keys.”
Giving them to him she says, “Here you go.”
Looking at the other exits he asks, “Which one?”
Pointing to the one that she and Jiron had entered, she says, “There.”
They cross the room and pass through the door to the corridor on the other side. James then closes the door behind him and uses the keys to lock it. Then he closes his eyes and concentrates for a full minute. When Aleya starts to say something, he holds up his hand and stops her.
As soon as his eyes pop open again, she asks, “What did you do?”
“Just a little something so Korgan won’t be alone,” he says.
Sitting on the floor, shoulder throbbing with pain, Korgan listens as their footsteps disappear in the distance. Once they disappear altogether, he works his way to his feet as best he can.
“Stupid of him to leave me alive,” he says to himself. Moving to the doorway they had passed through, he leaves the room as well and makes his way down the corridor. Upon reaching the interrogation room with the four burning torches in wall sconces, he immediately moves into the corridor with the cell doors lining both sides.
He can hear the door at the other end shut and the turning of the lock. None too worried about being locked down here, he knows that someone will be coming soon to check on things.
When he’s reached about halfway to the door, he comes to a stop when a noise disturbs the quiet. A clanking noise. Trying to figure out what it is, he’s soon to realize that it is the locks of all the cell doors unlocking by themselves. Then all of a sudden two of the cell doors between him and the door at the end swing open. The prisoners held within leave their cells and enter the corridor. One of them turns in his direction and sees him there. “Korgan!” the man exclaims in glee.
Seeing the prisoner moving toward him, Korgan begins to return back down the corridor. A glance behind him shows the prisoner has quickened his pace and is closing the distance rapidly. He breaks into a run as he races back to the room with the four burning torches. Every step sends pain radiating out from where the arrow is embedded in his shoulder. His hand that’s broken throbs very badly as well. Upon reaching the room, he enters and quickly throws his good shoulder against the door and slams it shut.
Bam!
The prisoner hits the door on the other side. “Korgan!” the man yells, “I’m going to kill you!”
Bam!
Again the man throws his weight into the door and manages to push it open an inch before Korgan gets it closed again. His arm extending from the shoulder with the arrow in it is numb and hangs limp at his side. Gritting his teeth he puts his other hand, the broken one, on the bolt in the door.
Bam!
The prisoner hits the door and knocks it open once more. Shoving hard, Korgan throws all his weight against the door and gets it closed. Then with an excruciating cry of pain, he pushes the bolt closed with his broken hand. The bones grind together as his muscles and tendons push and pull in his effort to lock the door. When at last the bolt sinks into its place, he gasps from the pain and sinks down to the floor.
Then a noise draws his attention to the other passages leading from the room as more prisoners begin moving into the room. Seeing him there, the prisoners grab various interrogation instruments and move toward him. His cries echo throughout the dungeon for a short time until finally becoming still.
Chapter Thirty Three
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When James and Aleya reach the bottom of the spiral staircase, the sound of fighting can be heard coming down from above. Taking the steps quickly, they reach the corridor at the top. Emerging into the corridor, James looks toward the fighting and