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She directed the last question at me, but Rien and I nodded.

Letting out a breath, she stepped to the side, gesturing towards the door. "After you."

My chest tightened with a sudden burst of fear, freezing me in place.

I was finally here, finally able to see my gram andsister …

But what if I was too late? What if they were already dead … or corrupted?

Images of Mirrim as a ghoul flooded my mind. That black braid, falling in clumps from her rotting —

No. Frexin would have set them free already if that were the case. Keeping the twisted was too dangerous, and that guard had made it sound like everyone was still asleep.

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to take one step, then another towards the large door. It held a small, barred window, and more dim light flickered inside.

Holding my breath, I peered through the window at the stone room beyond.

It was long and narrow … and so dark. Honestly, it looked like any other stone cave … except for the two neat rows of beds holding still bodies in white clothes and sheets. The rows filled the left and right walls in perfect lines that stretched so far back the light couldn't reach them.

My skin crawled at the sight.

It felt more like a crypt than a ward …

"I think they're in there," Kaiya whispered at my side. "Gram's korra is definitely there, but Mirrim —"

"She's not here?" I gripped the bars more tightly.

"I don't know —" Kaiya winced. "There are so many of those sickly bonds gunking things up that I can barely make out any individual korras. And something feels … off."

My anxiety ratcheted up, and I quickly withdrew the keys I'd stolen, slippingin the first key.

I needed to make sure they were okay …

My heart hammered in my throat as that key failed to turn.

I tried another, and it too failed.

Key after key, I tried, until finally there was just one left.

Swallowing, I slid it in, turned … and it twisted with a satisfying click.

Thank the gods —

I pushed the door open with a loud squeak.

We froze, hearts pounding as we waited for guards to come rushing down the stairs.

When no one came, I let out a relieved breath and stepped inside.

"Liam," Kaiya hissed, following at my heels. "We need to be careful."

I nodded and surveyed the dim room, but it was hard to see the faces in the nearby beds, let alone the beds at the dark end of the room.

I needed a lamp.

Turning, I studied the source of what little light there was — a brazier flickering with that sickly blue-white light from its spot high on the wall. There was no way that thing was coming down without some serious tools.

Next to it stood a small wooden table, littered with a variety of objects.