The Prison

When Gratiano's beady eyes slid toward him, Theo's heart flipped around. Did he already suspect something?

Wait. Gratiano wasn't looking at him, but Zenith. While Darian still wore her glamour, Zenith had returned to his knight form, armor gleaming so bright a soft halo seemed to surround him.

"My." Gratiano's eyebrows rose toward his receding hairline. "Is that...a homunculus?"

Theo stepped closer to Zenith, gripping his armored forearm for comfort. "That – that's right." His voice came out strained. "He's my familiar."

Gratiano barked out a hearty belly laugh. "I see, I see! Your students certainly do have high standards, Lady Margaret. Then I suppose you'll not have any interest in the collection on the first floor. These are mostly low-level familiars, average nephilim and demons. Good for beginners, but I can see that won't do for you!"

Still chuckling to himself, he began to amble down the hallway. Disgust wrenched in Theo's chest. He didn't want to go anywhere with this man who spoke of his fellow Tielans as if they were meat at a market.

Loud footsteps pounded beside him. Ryan came marching forward, breathing hard. "Hey! You got any homunculi?"

The idiot! It took all of Theo's effort not to slap his forehead. Here he'd thought Ryan would at least have the sense to keep quiet. Did he want the Ensons to recognize him?

Too late. Gratiano turned around, gazing directly at Ryan. Theo's heart jumped into his throat. Seeming to realize his mistake, Ryan shrank back, and Meg helped when she maneuvered in front of him.

Still, Gratiano had heard Ryan's voice and caught a glimpse of him. Would that be enough?

It didn't help when Gratiano barked another laugh. In the dim torchlight, Theo watched a bead of sweat slide down the back of Ryan's neck.

"Now, now! If we happened to possess any homunculi, they would be located on the top floor. However, the collection there is reserved for the Enson family alone. You'll have to make do with the fourth floor at best. Well, come along!"

With that, he started down the hall again. Theo exchanged glances with his companions before following after him. Ryan hung his head, wilting beneath the combined eye daggers Darian and Sam were shooting him.

"So there are five floors in total?" Meg asked Gratiano.

"Indeed. And in the center of the facility is the coliseum, which we use to test the familiars. After finding promising candidates, you may try them out in the coliseum as well. An impressive arena, isn't it? The young master's great-grandfather created it, and subsequent generations of Ensons have added their own personal touches."

"I see," Meg said. "Ah!"

Theo saw what had caught her attention – an orange glow from ahead. His Levia buzzed in response to the dreadfully familiar power. At least it was weaker than the arena portal, more like a whisper than a roar.

As they came closer, Theo saw the glow came from a diagram covering a heavy iron door. Similar doors lined the hall, each one marked with a diagram Theo didn't recognize.

"What is this?" Meg asked.

"Just a precaution," Gratiano said with another one of his hateful chuckles. "The doors are strong enough to hold in most of the prisoners, but these barrier spells provide another level of security. Just like the arena portal, they can only be opened by the family and its associates."

Maybe so, but these weren't half as strong. It might be possible to overpower them.

"I see," Meg said. "So are all the familiars here contracted to the Ensons?"

"For one who dislikes our methods, you certainly are curious." Gratiano sounded so amused Theo wanted to punch him. He wasn't the only one, judging by how Lodo hissed.

But Meg kept up her poker face. "I'd just like to have as much information as possible."

"Understandable, Lady Margaret." Gratiano nodded briskly. "No, only a few familiars earn the honor of personal contracts. For the rest of them, it's rather unnecessary considering we intend to sell them to other wizards, anyhow."

Darian stepped forward with her hands in her pockets, the picture of lazy unconcern. "You don't worry about them escaping?"

It took all of Theo's effort to keep his jaw from dropping, and he wasn't sure he was succeeding. Even Meg looked a tinge alarmed. She moved closer to Darian, but Darian kept her focus on Gratiano, staring him down without a trace of fear.

"Well." Gratiano coughed, then cleared his throat. When he spoke, his usual officious air was back. "A valid concern, my boy, but rest assured, there's nowhere more secure than this facility. In all its history, the locks and seals have never broken."

Darian nodded, looking satisfied. "Good to know."

"Ah, here we are." Gratiano sped up his pace a little, approaching a stairwell at the end of the hall. "I trust you won't have any objections about heading straight to the third floor? There's nothing on the first two floors worthy of your standards, if I do say so myself. Of course, feel free to ask more questions while we're on the way."

"Thank you very much, Gratiano. You've been quite a gracious host." Meg's tone remained as friendly as ever, betraying nothing, but Theo didn't miss how Lodo's left eyebrow twitched. He must be furious.

Heedless, Meg went on. "There's just one more thing I'm curious about. Should we expect to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Enson at any point? Say, before finalizing the contract?"

Gratiano blinked, taken aback again. The back of Theo's neck prickled. Was he starting to get suspicious?

But all Gratiano did was throw back his head and laugh for what felt like the thousandth time. It was fast becoming Theo's least favorite noise. "Oh, no, no. As a matter of fact, the master and lady are on vacation in Europe right now. They've left the young master in charge."

"My, that's quite a responsibility for a boy his age," Meg said.

"Indeed, but I must say he is performing admirably. Perhaps I could arrange a meeting if that is what you wish, Lady Margaret, since you are the Wetherill heir. The standard practice however is for all the business to be conducted through the representative, which would be myself."

"That sounds wonderful. I'd appreciate it." Meg glided forward, closing the distance between her and Gratiano, but just before she reached him she gave a little jerk of her left shoulder. Upon her signal, Darian moved up to Theo's side.

While Meg engaged Gratiano in a loud conversation, Darian whispered in Theo's ear, "Get ready. My glamour won't hold for much longer."

Oddly enough, her warning made Theo relax. At last. No more playing nice with Gratiano, pretending they were having the time of their life touring the prison. It was time to do what they'd come here for.

Theo looked up at Zenith, who lowered his head in a subtle nod. Behind him, he heard Ryan draw in a shuddering breath. And on his other side, Sam flashed him a grin.

Gratiano reached the stairwell. He was gesturing expansively while Meg nodded, engrossed in conversation. Darian leaned toward Theo and moved her lips.

'Now.'

Zenith's Levia sparked in Theo's chest. Then he lunged, shield raised.

Meg flung herself toward the wall, away from his range. Gratiano whirled, eyes huge.

Too late for him. Zenith slammed his shield into Gratiano's face with a satisfying thud. As the noise echoed off the stone walls, Gratiano's knees buckled and he crumpled into a limp pile on the floor.

Zenith loomed above him, sword drawn now. For several bated breaths, they watched the fallen Gratiano, but he didn't so much as twitch a muscle.

"Excellent." Lodo crouched by Gratiano's side and began rummaging through his suit pockets. "I daresay that's what you deserve, you mangy mutt."

He pulled out a key ring with a triumphant flourish, wearing a very un-Lodo-like shit-eating grin.

"Good work, everyone," Meg said as she took the ring from Lodo. "All right, let's get to work freeing everyone we can from this floor. Theo, you and Zenith head up to the top floor. That's got to be where they're keeping Avia."

Theo nodded and started up the stairs, but blinked when Ryan came bounding after him.

"Hey, I'm coming too!"

"What?" Meg looked like she'd been walloped between the eyes. "You don't have a familiar, you won't be able to help them."

"I know what Avia's Levia feels like," Ryan insisted. "Even without a contract, I should be able to sense her."

Theo couldn't contest that logic, and the longer they dawdled here the less time they'd have to accomplish their task. "Okay, let's go," he called over his shoulder before bounding up the stairs again. Zenith caught up almost instantly, and beneath the clanking of Zenith's armor he made out Ryan's heavy breathing.

The blood thundered in his ears, drowning out every last wisp of doubt. Now, he had a mission to accomplish.