CHAPTER 59: BROKEN CHAINS

Marcus woke to the sound of Tom trying to eat his morning gruel. His determination had crumbled overnight. The conversation with Lord Varek and Alice's betrayal kept replaying in his mind.

Really? he thought bitterly. I wanted to be Brutus?

Tom was struggling with his food since his hands were cuffed behind his back. As an enhancer, they'd made sure he couldn't use his strength to break free, so he had to eat like a dog, leaning down to the bowl. Even in this awful situation, Tom was tryin' to make jokes.

"Hey Marcus, look at me. I'm like one of those fancy lap dogs the nobles have," Tom said, lifting his head from the bowl with gruel on his chin.

Marcus couldn't manage a smile. He was supposed to testify against Master Thymon. Against the man who'd trusted him, who'd given his family shelter, who'd believed in his potential. Some hero he'd turned out to be.

The day passed slowly. Neither of them talked much after yesterday's confrontation with Lord Varek and Alice. Marcus kept thinking about the script she'd given him, written on his own paper. The betrayal stung worse every time he thought about it.

Tom tried to cheer him up occasionally, but Marcus was lost in his own thoughts. What was he doing here? Playing advisor to Master Thymon like he was some kind of strategic genius? This wasn't a game where you could roll new character sheets when things went wrong.

"Marcus," Tom said quietly in the afternoon. "You don't have to do what they want. We can figure somethin' out."

"Like what? You tried to break me out and look where that got us."

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know." Marcus sighed. "Thanks for watchin' my back, brother."

"Anytime," Tom replied.

As the day wore on, Marcus found himself thinking about Master Thymon, sitting in his own cell somewhere, wondering how his trusted student had led him into this trap. About Commander Cain, who'd risked his career to investigate the truth. About his family, who'd be completely alone if he and Tom were executed.

If he didn't testify, Varek would hurt everyone Marcus cared about. The bastard had probably already taken them, was torturing them right now to make sure Marcus cooperated.

The rest of the night, Tom and Marcus argued about whether to testify or not. Marcus insisted it was too late. They had to go along with it.

"I have another world waiting for me," Marcus said. "An interrogation I need to sleep for."

Hours passed. Late in the night, footsteps approached their cells, but whoever it was moved carefully, quietly.

"Marcus?" came a whispered voice.

It was Aldric. He looked terrible. Worse than Marcus, even. His face was drawn and pale, his usual neat appearance completely disheveled.

"Hello, partner. Hi, Tom," Aldric said, tryin' to sound cheerful.

"Hi, partner," Marcus replied. "Look how much we've elevated from society. Butler openin' our doors."

"What butler? Marcus, are you okay?" Tom asked, oblivious to the sarcasm.

"Marcus, I don't have much time," Aldric said urgently. "Whatever they're plannin' for the trial, it's not good."

"What do you mean?"

"What I heard, they want to make sure this kind of thing never happens again," Aldric explained.

"How are they gonna make sure?" Tom asked.

"By makin' an awful example of us," Marcus said, frowning. They won't keep their word after the trial, he thought. Maybe they'll eliminate everyone involved right at the trial.

Aldric moved closer to Marcus's cell and grasped his hand through the bars. "Marcus, you didn't leave me at my lowest point. You always tried to find a way to save my family business. This is my gift to you. Use it or don't, it's up to you."

He pressed something small and metal into Marcus's palm. "Good luck, my friend."

"Aldric, what did you do? How did you get this?" Marcus asked, but Aldric was already walking away.

Marcus turned his back to the corridor and examined what Aldric had given him. It was a silver key, but not an ordinary one. It had some kind of mechanism. When he pressed the head, it changed to a different shape.

After Aldric left, Marcus whispered to Tom about the key. They made a short plan, though Marcus wondered what there was to plan. If Varek was gonna hurt anyone he cared about, his knowledge of fiction dictated one thing. That son of a bitch couldn't be trusted no matter what.

Late in the night, Marcus used the key to open his cell. It worked perfectly. He quietly opened Tom's cell next.

"Be quiet, and if we get caught, kick anyone in your way and run as fast as possible. I can't open your hands yet," Marcus whispered.

When they reached the hallway door, Marcus changed the key's configuration and prayed it would fit. It clicked open.

There was no one waiting on the other side. They carefully climbed the stairs, but the two guards who were supposed to be keeping watch at the prison entrance were asleep.

Marcus tried his luck one more time with the main door. The key worked again, but this time the guards woke up at the sound.

"Hey! Stop!" one guard shouted.

"Runners!" yelled the other.

Before they could finish their words, Tom kicked both guards while they were still groggy. Marcus grabbed a large ring of keys from one of the guards.

"We don't have time to unlock your cuffs, so let's run. We'll deal with it later," Marcus said.

"Where do we go? They know everywhere we might go," Tom asked as they ran into the night.

"Not everywhere," Marcus replied. "Follow me."

He led them through the dark streets toward the eastern district. Toward Owen's warehouse. Toward Sara and the work she'd been doing in secret.

It was time to find out if his other plan had worked.