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The taller mage backed away and fumbled for something in his robes.

A wall of water surged past Viggo before he could move.The Brute’s pulse raced as Leon wrapped the man inside a bubble from which there would be no escape.

The device the dark mage had removed from his robes detonated in his hand, the sound of the explosion muffled by the water.He screamed and gurgled, the water around him rapidly turning red with his own blood.All that was left of his hand was a mangled mess where bone and gristle protruded.

Leon waited until he choked and lost consciousness before releasing his magic.

A few officers rapidly secured the fallen mages while Viggo checked on Stoker.He swallowed when he felt the strong pulse at her throat.Her breathing was slow and deep, indicating sedation rather than a state of near death.

“How is she?”Leon asked thinly, squatting beside him.

“Alive.”Viggo gently pulled up the unconscious thrall’s eyelid.Her blown pupil was all the confirmation he needed.

“They’ve drugged her,” Leon stated in a hard voice.

“We should move her to one of the storage areas for the time being and have an officer and a mage guard her,” Viggo suggested.

The mage who’d created the sensory ward volunteered.“I’ll do it, sir,” she said nervously.“My magic can help keep us hidden.”

“Thank you,” Leon said.

Viggo gave her a grateful nod.He rose and studied the metal door at the end of the antechamber.It was where the men had been heading.He shot a scowl at the unconscious mages.

“Check their pockets for a key or a seal ring.”

To his chagrin, the officers found nothing.

Leon moved to the door and ran his hands lightly over the metal, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“It’s warded,” he confirmed grimly.“Multiple layers.It may take a little while to dismantle them safely without alerting anyone of our presence.”

“We don’t have time!”Viggo growled.“Just use yourNullification Magicto strip it bare.I’ll take care of the rest.”

A muscle jumped in Leon’s jawline.He released a frustrated sigh and began undoing the wards.

“Don’t blame me if a bunch of shadow creatures appear and eat your face.”

“They won’t,” Viggo grunted.“That amulet around your neck hasn’t glowed once in all the time we’ve been inside the facility.”

Still, everyone held their breath when the Frenchman finished removing the magic wards on the door.To their palpable relief, no monsters appeared.

Viggo braced himself and drove his shoulder into the door with all the force he could muster.Metal caved under his blow.He moved back and repeated the movement with even more force.A tortured sound left the hinges.Viggo scowled, retreated a step, and kicked the door.

It went flying off the frame and clattered noisily inside a long corridor lined with cells.

The stench of fear and human waste washed over them.

“Solomon!”Viggo shouted, moving quickly down the line of cells.He peered desperately through the observation slits in each door.“Solomon, can you hear me?!”

A voice responded from one of the cells near the end.“Viggo?Is that you?!”

Relief made Viggo weak-kneed.He hurried to the door and found Solomon’s tense face peering through the narrow opening.He had a few bruises and was favouring his right leg, but otherwise looked remarkably well considering the circumstances.

“Thank God,” the Brute whispered shakily, his fingers finding Solomon’s through the slit in the door.

“Took you long enough,” Solomon said with a lopsided grin.

“Yes, well, Evander and I promised to turn this city upside down to find you,” Viggo admitted with a weak smile.He studied the cell door.“Stand back.”