As drunkards and patrons continued to stumble in and out of the brothel, I narrowed my eyes and then tried to perceive any potential security. There was no one guarding the crowded doors, and even after I muttered the periculum incantation in my head to be sure, I couldn’t detect any dangers surrounding us.
At least, not yet.
“It’s clear to go in,” I muttered to the others, “but stay fucking close… we have no idea what could be lurking inside that brothel. Also, cover yourselves up with your hoods and smear dirt on your faces. We don’t want the men in there to get the wrong impression.”
“Right.” Morgana nodded as each witch slid their hoods over their heads and then rubbed grime and dirt over their beautiful faces.
“How unattractive,” Vesta murmured as she gently rubbed dirt onto her goddess-like face.
“That’s the idea,” Faye snickered.
“Let’s go in and try to find the stone,” Akira demanded in an impatient tone.
“Um, hold up,” Penelope hissed. “Just how the hell are we going to do that, exactly? I know Cole has advanced premonition skills, but it’s not as if we can just walk in, and he’ll know exactly where it is.”
“Oh, and standing out here in the dark and cold is a better idea?” Akira snapped.
“No,” the bright-haired witch grunted before turning to look at me with her doe-like eyes. “Cole… do you have a plan?”
Men continued to stumble past us, and thankfully, they paid little attention to our group. With our pale and dirty cloaks, we must have looked like a group of beggars, so before I responded, I pulled up my own hood and then looked around.
“We’ll improvise a plan,” I replied in a firm tone. “Trust me… we’ll find the Defero. There has to be one particular room where they keep precious artifacts. There’s no way they’d be lying out in the open, not with drunkards constantly stumbling in and out.”
“Well, wherever the fucking stone is,” Beatrix stated, “it’s probably heavily guarded.”
“No, shit,” Akira scoffed, “but would you rather wait out here in the dark? We have no choice but to go inside and find the stone… or would you rather be stuck in this shithole for Satan knows how long? Because I’ll leave you here if I have to.”
“No,” the light-haired brunette answered softly. “I’m just… concerned, and I think I have a right to be.”
“We’re all concerned,” Faye replied in a faint voice as her gold-green eyes darted around the building, “but waiting out here is pointless… not to mention that it’s going to look suspicious if we keep lingering about.”
“Faye’s right,” I urged, “come on, let’s go inside.”
Each witch nodded deeply and then took a deep breath before we marched past the drunk, staggering men and entered the brothel.
We weren’t even past the threshold, though, when our mouths dropped to the floor in shock.
This wasn’t a human brothel as we expected, but instead, the place was filled with monster-like women and exotic creatures. There were towering, golden cages in every corner of the multi-story building, and women of all breeds were dancing naked inside of them. Wild music was playing from a band of elvish women who had their ankles chained against the wall, and they were wearing silver and gold bras and underwear as they played a quick, pulsating beat. In the back of the first room, there was a gigantic water tank filled with two-tailed mermaids swimming around in graceful swirls and churns. They were naked, but their faces were painted with heavy makeup, even underwater, and they wore forced smiles as they performed for a group of men huddled by their tank and cheering for more. There were also women with horns and different shades of skin serving pitchers of drinks at different tables, and they all wore chain-like collars on their elongated necks. Their outfits were all sheer, and they might as well have worn nothing at all.
“Dear Satan down below,” Vesta breathed as her sparkling, silver eyes widened. She placed a dainty hand over her breasts, and her soft pink lips parted slightly open as she stared at the chaos before her. “This is not what I expected… it’s absolutely horrifying.”
“I thought this city hated magical creatures,” Ivy whispered with pale lips.
“Turns out they can make exceptions if it includes fucking and abusing them,” Akira growled under her breath. “These fuckers… clearly, the women are here against their will.”
“Why can’t they just use their powers to escape?” Iris questioned as she brushed a pink streak of hair out of her eyes. “I mean, that’s what I’d do.”
I narrowed my eyes and focused on the chains and collars on each woman, and that’s when it hit me. Their shackles and cages must have been placed under some kind of enchantment. Was it elder magic? This city clearly hated magical beings, but I supposed they made some arrangements to ensure these women could never leave.
“They can’t use magic,” I whispered, “not when they’re bound by those chains and collars.”
The witches all gasped in realization, and as sick and twisted as it was to see these women under human men’s control, I knew we had to push onward.
There was no time to waste.
“Come on,” I muttered. “We have to stay focused. Follow me.”
We carefully threaded through the cluttered rooms, and then I tried to focus on the stone’s possible whereabouts. I pictured the last Defero in my mind and then tried to home in on its hidden location, but it began to feel useless. It could have been anywhere, and there was too much going on for me to focus on only one potential room.
We had to explore further.
“Anything yet, Cole?” Faye asked, but I could barely hear her faint voice over the exotic music.
“No,” I grunted. “At least, not yet. Let’s explore all the rooms on the first floor first.”
“Shit,” Penelope muttered. “That could take ages--”
“Can I offer you a drink?” a sweet voice asked from behind us.
When we all whipped around, there was a young woman with light green skin, purple horns, and orange eyes smiling at us, and she held up a golden platter with empty crystal glasses and a small plate of strange, leaf-wrapped food. Her outfit made it difficult to maintain eye contact because she was wearing a transparent, shimmering silver skirt and matching top. There wasn’t much underneath, except for a pair of white high/hip thong panties, and she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her emerald, pierced nipples were protruding through her top, and she was breathing heavily as if she were excited.
“Err, no, thank you.” I shook my head. “We’re actually here to discuss a potential bargain.”
“Oh?” she replied with wide eyes. “With the king?”
The king? Did she mean the king of the entire fucking kingdom was in one of these rooms? If he were, there was no doubt he had the stone kept safely somewhere at his side.
“As a matter of fact.” I grinned as I neared her. “Yes.”
She blushed a deep color of green and then looked at the other women.
“You don’t look like our usual customers,” she whispered as she leaned in. “You’re all far better looking… even if you’re worse for wear… no offense.”
“None taken,” I replied as I inched even closer.
I needed to just touch her for a moment before I asked my next question.
“Y-You’re welcome,” she gushed before she demurely dropped her orange eyes to the plate she held. “Are you sure I can’t offer you a drink before you head off to do your business? It might ease your nerves… the king is a very ill-tempered man. Oh, but please don’t tell him I said that… he’d skin me for sure.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said as I lightly placed a hand over hers, “but, actually, I need to know where all business transactions take place. Does the king have a secret room we need to get to?”
“I can’t tell--” she started, but then I grasped her hand a little tighter.
“Secretum mentis,” I muttered.
Her orange eyes gleamed brighter as she stared into mine, and then her red lips parted slightly before she numbly nodded.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “His room is upstairs, on the second floor… it’s behind the door with two golden sphinx statues placed on each side. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” I said as I gently pulled away. “You’ve been extremely helpful. Perhaps we’ll take that drink when we return.”
“Err… sure thing,” she replied in a confused tone.
Before she could pick up on anything else, I quickly turned away from her and led the others deeper into the brothel. I couldn’t find any stairs, but I could see the balconies to the upper level. The rooms were absolutely cluttered and packed with patrons, so it was difficult to navigate and pinpoint where we had to go, but when I found a relatively secluded corner, I looked at the witches and leaned in closer to whisper.
“We need to find a stairwell,” I said, “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.”
“Right.” Akira gave a firm nod. “Let’s keep moving, then. I’m sure we’ll find it.”
We kept close together as we passed by more dancing women in cages and men drooling over them, and the rooms were so cluttered with slave women and drunk patrons that it was beginning to feel as if we were walking in damn circles around the first floor. I was about to lose my patience until I spotted a golden door with a short, bulky man standing by. He had a firm, tight line across his spotty face, and when he met my eyes, his frown deepened.
“There,” I whispered to the others. “That must be it. Come on.”
I swerved past more women carrying large trays and dancing slaves, and when I approached the bulky little man, I forced myself to smile down at him.
“Greetings,” I said. “We’d like to expand our horizons, and I’m sure there is much more to be seen on the second floor. May we pass?”
“Aye,” he grunted. “For ten gold coins, you may.”
Shit.
I flashed him another confident smile before I quickly glanced around the room, and then I spotted a table with two men. They were a fair distance away, but I could still see them gawking at a pink-skinned woman who was dancing with fire hoops in front of them. The men had empty mugs of beer cluttering their table, but there was also a small leather pouch in between them, and I knew it had to be money.
“I’m sure I can pay that amount,” I drawled, “but let me just check with my companions before I accept your offer.”
“You need permission?” he scoffed. “From a group of dirty, peasant women? Seems a bit odd… but what the hell do I care? Just pay or don’t, it’s no skin off my ass either way.”
I forced myself to smile at the bastard and then turned to face the others.
“Follow my lead,” I whispered.
We walked toward the two, oblivious men, and I focused on the leather pouch on their table. Then I turned my head to look at the women, and an idea sprang to mind.
“Alright, listen closely,” I muttered. “See those men over there? I’ll need one of you to distract them.”
“But how?” Beatrix hissed.
Before I could answer, Penelope smiled coyly at me and then pushed past the others.
“Watch and fucking learn,” she said.
I quickly followed her as she waltzed over to the two men and then flashed them a sweet smile. One of them was blond with a scruffy beard, and the other was a short, fat man with a long black beard and small red-rimmed eyes. They were clearly in a drunken stupor because they could barely focus on Penelope as she hovered over them.
“Hello, gentleman,” she purred. “Would you care for another drink?”
I was directly behind her, but they seemed too drunk to even take notice.
“Y-You don’t look like you w-work here,” the blond one slurred. “I’ve never seen you before.”
“Well, they’re now starting to accept human women as servers,” Penelope confidently replied. “We all need to make a living, eh?”
“Whatever,” the black-bearded one coughed. “Just bring us two more ales, and be quick about it.”
Penelope nodded, and as the black-bearded one reached for the leather pouch, she placed a hand on his and then smiled.
“No need to pay,” she cooed. “It’s on the house.”
“Well, hell,” he chuckled. “Then bring us four!”
“Sure thing,” Penelope answered. “Let me just get these other glasses out of the way for you… oops!”
As she bent down to grab the glasses, she elbowed a few and let them fall to the side, and then glass went shattering all over the floor. The men looked irritated as their drooping eyes darted down to the broken glass, and the woman who had been dancing for them jumped back in surprise.
I took the small window of opportunity and focused on their leather pouch.
Motus.
The money bag flew from their table, and before they could even glance up, it landed in my hand, and I shoved it deep into my cloak pocket.
“You clumsy bitch,” the blond one growled. “Look at the mess you’ve made.”
“I am so, very sincerely sorry,” Penelope said in a sweet, apologetic tone. “How about I bring you six free ales as compensation?”
The two men exchanged drunken, pleased looks with one another before they nodded at her.
“Sounds like a fair deal,” the black-bearded one snarled. “Just hurry the hell up.”
“Oh, but, of course,” she answered with the same serene smile.
The bright-haired witch bowed and then turned to look at me. As we calmly returned to the others, she faced me again and then stared into my eyes, but when she looked down, her face fell.
“Wait… please tell me you took the money?” she gasped with furious dark eyes. “Don’t tell me I did that for nothing.”
I smirked at her terrified face and then patted my pocket.
“No worries.” I grinned. “We’re good… now let’s hurry before they sober up and wonder where their drinks are.”
The group collectively nodded, and then we hurried back toward the guarded door. The bulky man had his arms crossed, but he smirked at me as soon as I pulled out the pouch.
“I suppose they agreed, then?” he growled.
“They did.” I nodded. “Here’s fifteen gold coins for being so patient.”
The guard’s shifty eyes immediately filled with greed and gratitude as I retrieved the money and placed it into his chubby hand.
“Now, that’s more like it.” He grinned as he stepped aside. “Have a fan-fucking-tastic time.”
We collectively nodded before I gently pushed the door open, and there before us was a grand flight of golden stairs, covered with a large, red and yellow patterned rug with intricate patterns and woven designs.
“Let’s go,” I urged.
We quickly climbed up the stairs, and as soon as we were on the second floor, I took a look around.
“See if you can spot the golden statues,” I whispered. “As the woman said, they shouldn’t be too difficult to find.”
As we searched the second floor, we drifted past more naked dancers and open bedrooms, and it was growing increasingly difficult not to peek inside some of the chambers to see what was going on inside. Each different bedroom seemed to be designed for some special kink, and as we ventured onward, I spotted an expansive pink and red room filled with serpentine women dancing with actual snakes that curled around their waists and arms. Human men were tied to the bedposts, and they watched with large, eager eyes as the women danced with their animals to the beat of a quick drum.
When we passed that room, we came across another green and gold chamber filled with centaur women and naked men. The women were wearing gold chains around their necks, and their breasts were the largest I’d ever seen. I shuddered at the sight, and I didn’t even want to question how the sexual gratification worked out for either partner.
“This place is a total mind-fuck,” Akira growled. “I hate every inch of it. They’re keeping magical women here against their will.”
“Well, hopefully, we won’t have to be here for much longer,” I whispered back. “Come on, the statues have to be here somewhere.”
As we looked around, the rooms began to smell more like sex, spices, and perfume. The air was growing thicker, and it was becoming almost painful to breathe. Music was pounding in my ears, and the sounds of men moaning and cheering made it difficult to concentrate on finding the statues. It took all my willpower to try and drone out the chaos, and just when I thought my head was going to explode from the effort, I spotted the glinting, golden statues in front of a large, wooden door, and we all stopped in our tracks.
“Well, there it is,” I said as I gestured toward the door.
I turned around to look at the others and then took in a deep breath. Each witch looked terrified and hesitant, and I couldn’t blame them. Even without reciting the incantation, I could feel great danger lurking behind the door.
“Cole, you don’t sound too pleased about finding the room,” Faye noted as she bit down on her lip. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to scare you, but something or someone is guarding the room from the inside,” I said slowly. “It’s the king’s personal, private quarters… so there has to be some high-level security inside.”
“Can you see specifically what we’re up against?” Penelope asked.
“Let’s find out,” I muttered before I raised my hand into the air and then focused on the door.
Periculum.
In my mind, I could see past the door, and right behind it was a tall, troll sized man standing guard with his large, muscular arms crossed over his chest. I used the spell to see past the guard, and then my mind hovered into the adjoined hallway. As I scoped further down the corridor, my mind could see another room. Inside, there was a small, plump man wearing a velvet button-down shirt and dark slacks, and his sausage-like fingers were adorned with rings. He was bald and had a salt and peppered cropped beard, and his eyes were dark, but also greedy and menacing. He was sitting on the edge of a bed, and there were two, horned women dancing in front of him as he plucked grapes from a nearby bowl.
My head felt like it was splitting in half as I tried to focus on the rest of the bedroom. This room was undoubtedly the king’s private pleasure chamber. It was filled with all kinds of different artifacts and trophies, and they were all placed on extended, dark shelves next to his bed. As I scanned through the clutter, I thought I spotted the stone, and my heart began to beat faster. It was vibrant red, and it was glowing like a priceless ruby.
There was another set of guards standing in the corners of the room, though, and they were clearly doing their best not to gawk at the women who were dancing solely for the king’s pleasure.
The moment I saw the Defero and the guards, my mind was pulled away from the suite, and as I returned, it felt as if I’d been slammed back into my own body with a painful shove. I stumbled backward from the sudden jolt and then fought the urge to rub at my throbbing temples once I’d settled inside my own head again.
“Cole!” Vesta breathed with large, silver eyes, and her long eyelashes batted like a pair of dark fans as she lightly touched my arm. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I grunted. “I saw the king.”
“And?” Penelope pressed.
“And I saw the stone,” I continued. “It was right there in his room and on a shelf… but the bad news is the room is heavily guarded.”
“Well, fuck,” the bright-haired witch pouted. “How the hell are we going to get in?”
“First things, first,” I replied. “We need to get past the first guard… he’s almost the size of a fucking troll. I need to find a way to convince him the king wants an audience with me.”
I wracked my brain for an idea, and then I stared at the witches. Surely, the guard would know about the king’s business and his desires. Did his fat majesty have a certain kind of woman he preferred? What if I offered all of the women as a gift? It would be risky, and I knew they weren’t going to like it, but it might be our only shot.
“I have an idea,” I said in a tentative tone, “but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
“What is it, Cole?” Morgana asked as she furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m sure whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”
“Not too sure about that,” I replied as I shook my head. “Listen, you’re going to have to take off your cloaks… and show some skin.”
“But we’re only wearing our skirts and t--” Penelope began until her brown eyes widened with realization. “You want us to offer ourselves up to the king in exchange for the stone?”
“Just to get in without a fight,” I firmly pointed out. “It’s not as if I’m going to leave you here and then take the stone.”
“No fucking way,” the orange-hair witch snarled as she crossed her arms over her chest. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.”
“Why not?” Vesta asked as she swiftly began to remove her cloak and then toss it aside as if it were as light as water. “Cole’s never let us down before, and if he thinks this is the best course of action to take, I’m in.”
“But--” Penelope tried to argue, but my coven were already taking off their cloaks.
Even her group was undressing and unbuttoning their blouses, and as the women stripped, I wondered which witch should be presented first. I looked at Vesta, and now that her elvish ears were visible, and her skin was gradually turning back into its light lavender complexion, she looked more like an elf than a human. Her skin was glowing like moonlight, and her exotic eyes were shimmering like a silver river. Even covered in dirt, she reminded me of a goddess, and I knew no man could resist her. She noticed my stare, and before she could say anything, I pulled her forward and then looked into her wide eyes.
“Look,” I said, “you’ll need to stand in front of the others… I have a feeling this prick has a special hard-on for elvish women.”
“Alright,” she sighed. “I had a feeling I might have to do this… considering how beautiful I am. Let’s just get it over with, shall we?”
I gently pulled Vesta along while the others followed me, and Penelope huffed angrily before she shrugged off her cloak and then trailed after us toward the wooden door. I knocked three hard times before the large, troll-like man opened the door and then snarled down at me.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded with enormous yellow eyes.
“I’m a humble traveler,” I started. “And I’ve just so happened to stumble across these lovely morsels as I was returning home. I figured the king would enjoy a new addition to his private collection. I’ve heard he’s quite the collector.”
“He has plenty of women already,” the guard growled. “Fuck off.”
As he was about to slam the door in my face, I wedged my foot into the doorframe to stop him from shutting me out, so he glowered at me and then took a heavy step forward.
“Did you not hear me?” he snarled. “Fuck. Off.”
Before I could respond, a deep voice from within the suite echoed into the hallway.
“Gregson, who is it?”
“Some peasant trying to sell you some dirty whores,” he rumbled. “I told him to fuck off, but either he’s hard of hearing or as stubborn as a goddamn mule.”
“Well, hold on,” the voice replied. “Bring them in. I’d like to see the goods for myself.”
I smirked as the guard tentatively stepped aside to let us in, and as soon as we entered the hallway, the strong smell of incense hit us all at once. The jingle of bells and the beating of drums echoed loudly as we ventured deeper into the suite, and everything looked exactly as it had in my mind.
When we finally approached the king, he was slouched back into the bed with greasy lips and hungry eyes.
“Well, what do we have here?” he asked as he eyed Vesta and the others. “Bring them closer, if you please.”
I gestured for the women to take a step closer to the king, and I could feel the tension radiating off their bodies as the portly king eyed them like a piece of spiced steak. He licked his wormy lips and motioned for the other women to leave the room, and a small wave of relief swept over the dancers’ faces before they abruptly stopped swaying and bowed to the king. Then the two slaves left the room in a single-file line, and they both caught my eye as they passed through the door.
“Ah, Gregson, I think these women would make a fine addition to my personal collection,” the king answered as he slowly stood up. “You know how much I liked to collect as many trophies as possible… even live ones.”
He gestured toward his golden artifacts and the stone next to his bed, and the guard bowed his head.
“Yes, sire,” the troll-man grunted.
“I prefer to keep my private collection in here, rather than the castle.” The king winked at Vesta. “The wife has clumsy fingers, and I’d rather not risk beheading another wife for touching my most prized possessions. A king can only go through so many wives in one lifetime, and I’m on number seven.”
He laughed at his own joke as he slowly approached Vesta, and then he placed a thick finger under her chin and looked into her gleaming, silver eyes.
“Tell me, child,” he murmured with a greedy, slimy smile. “Are you mixed?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered in a soft, demure tone. “My mother was an elf, and I never knew my father, but I know he was fair-skinned. I am an experienced dancer, musician, and singer. I could bring you all kinds of joy… in more ways than one. ”
“Lovely,” he said before he released her. “I do love some dirty mutts… and that hair… what gorgeous hair and eyes you have, my dear.”
“Your majesty is too kind,” the elvish witch purred before she gracefully curtsied before the fat oaf.
As he was busy studying the women, I discreetly stared at the stone on his shelf. It was right next to his bed and in the middle of his other artifacts. The guards by his bedposts were staring right at me, and I knew I couldn’t just take the stone, even if I used apportation. They’d see it floating in the air, and we’d all be dead in minutes. I knew I had to come up with another plan, and that’s when I noticed the candles by the king’s bed. I studied the small, golden embers and then focused on moving the flames with my mind. I needed to cause a distraction, and this was the only way I knew how.
Motus.
The candle fire began to expand upward and caught onto the sheer canopy of the king’s bed. A guard immediately took notice of the flames and tried to bat them away without alerting the king, but I was using all my power to multiply the blaze as quickly as possible.
“Sir!” the guard finally called out. “Fire!”
The king swirled around and then took a clumsy step back.
“Well, put it out, for fuck’s sake,” he roared. “How hard can it possibly be?”
I narrowed my eyes, and my head throbbed uncontrollably as I spread the fire toward the bedsheets and wooden posts, and soon, the entire piece of pompous furniture was on fire.
“Dear gods,” the king gasped when he realized it was too late. “For heaven’s sake, get me the hell out of here!”
The guards swarmed over to his side and then practically dragged him out of the room by his armpits. Since the king was so fat, they were moving slowly, and I knew it would buy us some time to escape before they did.
So, as the chaos ensued, I focused through the smoke and flames, narrowed my vision on the stone, and repeated the incantation in my head. A moment later, the red stone flew from the shelf, through the haze, and then landed in my hand before I quickly shoved it into my cloak pocket. Now, the fire was spreading quicker than I intended, so I turned to the others and pointed to the door.
“Go!” I urged.
We ran through the king’s suite, and soon, other patrons and women were beginning to notice the smell and were running madly through the halls. Women were being shoved aside by men who desperately wanted to save their own skins, and the bastards trampled the slaves to get as far away as possible. The sight made my blood boil, but I had to set my anger aside and focus on getting us out of here in one, unburnt piece.
“Fire!” people screamed. “Run!”
We were sprinting and panting through the brothel, but before we could reach the staircase, I felt someone grab me roughly by the arm and then yank me back until I hit the back of a wall with a painful thud. When I adjusted my eyes through the gray smoke, I realized I was staring up at the troll-like man, and he had a dark, satisfied look on his hideous face. He didn’t even seem to care that we could have been burned or crushed by the collapsing building. The only thing he seemed intent on was confronting me, fire be damned.
“You,” he growled as he jabbed a meaty finger into my face. “You caused the fire. I saw it.”
“And how the hell could I do that?” I snapped as I straightened myself up. “You’re mad.”
“Magic,” he spat at my feet. “I know magic when I fucking see it.”
I rose to my feet and then slowly reached into my sleeve for my wand, but before the troll-like man could reach for me, I saw Penelope take a step toward the beast and aim her wand at his back.
“Volant!” she screamed.
A light struck the guard, and he went flying into the wall right next to me, and before he could even stand up, I retrieved the stolen dagger from the back of my waistband and then stabbed him in the neck with all my strength. He cried out in pain and tried to swing at me, but I jumped back.
Despite his serious injury, the troll-man still managed to stand up on trembling legs and then glared at me with his yellow eyes. The dagger was still in the back of his neck as he stumbled forward, and he tried to reach for me with his meaty hands. I knew he wanted to wrap them around my neck, so I took another quick step back. Then I swiftly pulled out my own wand and aimed it at his thick throat.
“Secare!” I shouted.
A cut slashed across his thick throat, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. However, it was enough to cause him to stumble back in surprise as he clutched onto his neck in shock and horror. When I looked up to the ceiling, I noticed a massive chandelier hovering right above him, and that’s when I saw my next opportunity to finish this fucker off once and for all.
Motus.
The chandelier unhooked from the ceiling, and right before it fell on top of the giant man, he looked up and screamed. He tried to cover his head with his hands, but it was a useless endeavor. The dense ornament landed right on top of him, and he was instantly crushed. Dark blood pooled around the broken chandelier, and his troll-like body was positioned at an unusual angle. The dagger had punctured deeper into his neck from the impact, and I knew he was dead.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” I ordered as the witches stared at the mess with gaping mouths. “The entire building is going to collapse at any moment!”
We ran through the burning building and down the stairs, but before we reached the front doors, I noticed many of the magical women were unable to run away because of their chains and collars. They couldn’t even place their feet past the threshold, as if some invisible force field prevented them from leaving the burning brothel. Not to mention the poor mermaids who were trapped in their tanks.
I knew I couldn’t leave them in there to burn, so I used all my mental strength to imagine their chains and collars unlocking. I also pictured the tank breaking open, and I hoped to Satan these women would be able to develop legs like the mermaids I’d read about.
If not, well, I couldn’t save everyone, but I could at least try.
“Cole, what the hell are you doing?” Penelope shouted as she tugged on my arm. “Let’s go before the king realizes what we’ve done!”
“Not just yet,” I answered through gritted teeth.
It took every last ounce of strength I had left, but I finally managed to picture every single lock and chain coming undone. The slave women all gasped and looked at each other as the demeaning confinements fell off their bodies, but they raced through the door without further hesitation.
Then I refocused my efforts on the mermaid tanks, and as soon as the glass shattered, the sirens all gasped as they flooded through the broken glass and water. I held my breath as I watched their tails slowly vanish and were then replaced with legs, and they met my eyes before they slowly stood up and then raced toward the door as quickly as possible.
The women were all running as far away from the burning brothel as possible, and some patrons were also trying to run, but most of them were too drunk to even make it to the door. In fact, when I peered through the smoke, I saw the king and his guards slowly making their way toward us. No doubt it was difficult to haul his fat, slow ass down the stairs, which was why they were some of the last ones left in the building.
When the king’s beady eyes lifted up to meet mine, he scowled through the smoke and then stopped in his tracks.
“You!” He pointed right at me. “You did this, didn’t you? All my precious artifacts are gone! I’ll have you hanged, drawn, and quartered for this, you son of a whore!”
I ignored his meaningless threats and then used the last trace of energy I had left to bring the entire burning building down on top of him and his guards. The last thing I saw before all the stones came crashing down was the king’s wide, panicked filled eyes and a long, drawn-out scream.
And then everything faded to blackness.