Raelar sighed, shaking his head with what seemed almost amusement. "I suppose negotiations have failed. What a pity."
The room fell silent for a moment, like the calm before the storm. Lucien, leaning against the wall, looked at his two allies with a mixture of gratitude and concern.
"You don't have to do this," he murmured. "This is my battle."
Selene snorted without turning. "Shut up and save your strength, you idiot. You'll have time to be noble when we get out of this."
Raelar approached Lucien, his voice low and urgent, "Lucien, listen," he said, keeping an eye on their enemies. "Varick told us why you came. Your protégé, Elio, is probably in one of the cells. Go, save him. We'll handle this."
Selene, without taking her eyes off their opponents, nodded. "Hurry up, idiot. We don't have all day."
Raelar nodded slightly. "Besides," he added with an almost imperceptible smile, "things have been too quiet around here for too long."