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The way to freedom was lit froht to face the blackness of the corridor Every nerve ending I had was firing, urging , and said loud enough for theain, just bright enough to reveal the hallway I went to the cell across frouy who had spoken to ht with anticipation

I gasped when I saw his face "Oh ," I said, hands shaking and going to work on the lock "You just remind me of someone"

The door popped open He stepped out Tall, like Sebastian, those gray eyes boring into y black beard and his hair was long and tangled, but there was no doubt in ed by thirty years He urgedand not really looking too closely at the occupants They all looked the sa Only their eyes burned With fear Fright With a taste of freedom, but too scared to hope just yet

I came to the next cell, and this time stumbled back, my heart in my throat

"Hurry!" the bird voice hissed

I gulped andworse than before Its clarapped around the bars and its sharp, curved beak was inches frolanced up into round black eyes, ringed in yellow, but in some small part I saw humanity there Sadness It blinked "Made," it said quietly, al back as the six-and-a-half-foot-tall harpy walked out There was no other word in my vocabulary to describe it Humanoid, bird, and scary as hell

Two more cells left

I opened another cell, this one completely black A woman with the body of a black spider from the waist down scurried out All the blood drained froave me a nod that spoke volu I had to It was the only thing preventingDeal with it later My hands were shaking so badly now that I nearly dropped the keys But the Sebastian look-alike placed his big hand over mine "No He stays"

I did a double take "What?" The person inside had not even coainst the wall, one leg drawn up "We can’t just leave himaf; hunter Like the one you just killed He put so sank into the pit of uy, an unexplainable dreadvery sirunts Who knehat he’d done to displease her, but it felt wrong to leave hi I shook ent voice carabbed the keys frorow roots I couldn’tas though ruff voice It was the same voice that had told the harpy to "shut the fuck up" "I belong here"

"Girl! Coain

I sed as hot tears cut through the dirt and gris in here," I said

"Killers do Just go Take the trail behind the old slave quarters It will lead to the road back to New 2 You h time to hide But it won’t stop Her She’s already broken the co her hunter into the city And she’ll send ained your freedo a hunter Keep it safe and secret"

I hit the bars, wanting to scream for the keys back

"Hurry You’ve little time left"

"Thank you" It sounded totally inadequate, but I said it anyway,like I had just done soret I flew passed Older Sebastian and took the steps two at a time

No one was in the house as we raced out the front door

I took the lead, heading across the large yard and underneath the canopy of oaks to the buildings behind theour way

When we rounded the corner to the restored slave quarters, I stopped,My eyes scanned for the trail and found a small footpath that led into the swamp, a juuished cry brought roup

The spider woman was on her knees, all woht of the moon and her arms limp at her sides Tears of relief and joy streamed down her face as some of the others helped her to stand