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Magda let out a deep sigh as Ravi released her.

“We need a distraction,” he said.

“But what?” Magda scanned the scene, her gaze going to the open rafters in the warehouse roof. At different angles, a few tree branches had grown inside the holes that acted as windows, their leaves gently brushing the stacks of boxes.

Magda remembered the flowers in Ishani’s office, and how she had manipulated them. Then she remembered the vines in the street. She closed her fist, focusing on the trees in the distance. She was distinctly aware of herself, and suddenly, before she knew it, one of the tree branches gently moved to the side, knocking over an entire stack of boxes. The boxes tumbled over each other, spilling out piles of treasures such as gold, artifacts, and scrolls. A shattering clamor rang through the space as the treasures crashed against each other.

The noise caught the attention of some of the attendees at the fighting match. They peered through the gap in the curtain. “Look, let’s get some intel on Vex’s goods.”

“Let’s get some for ourselves!”

A handful of guild workers headed toward the overturned boxes, and at the sight of them, the four officers rushed over, eager to protect their spoils and help one another restack the crates.

Magda stood, dumbfounded. She had really moved the tree. The thoughts circulating through her mind had manifested in real life.

Ravi broke her thoughts:

“Well, that was convenient. I guess the guardians are always watching,” he laughed.

“You have no idea,” Magda said under her breath.

“Come on, they’ll be back soon.”

Magda reached the door first, yanked it open, and was met by a set of stairs leading down. She descended quickly, with Ravi right behind.

At the bottom of the steps, a waft of musty air flooded their senses. They emerged into a wine cellar with arched, stone ceilings, as if they had stumbled into a cave. Before them was a long, wooden table. Leading into the darkness were rows of barrels and an iron-wrought gate leading into a secluded alcove. Covering the walls were racks of vintage wine bottles, covered in dust and cobwebs.

The sound of barking dogs echoed against the stone walls, coming from the gate ahead.

“Let’s go,” urged Magda.

They sprinted between the rows of barrels until they reached the gate and pulled it open. It was another room lined with shelves, but this time, the shelves held cages rather than glass bottles. Inside were dozens of shrieking and terrifying animals, with tangled fur and wasted bodies. Upon seeing Magda and Ravi, the barking and cries continued even louder.

“Help me find him—we don’t have much time!” yelled Magda. She ran ahead until her face was against the cages, peering inside to find her dog.

“Right behind you,” said Ravi, racing to the other side.

A loud, familiar bark sounded to Magda’s left, followed by high-pitched whimpering. She snapped her head to the side to see the glimmer of fur.

“Odie!” Magda shouted, sprinting to the cage and dropping down to her knees. Her pet jumped up onto the bars, licking her face with his tongue. He shook violently from his overly wagging tail. “Ravi!” Magda called as she pulled up the latch and yanked the gate open. Instantly, Odie jumped into Magda’s arms, and Magda squeezed tightly around his matted fur.

“You’re alright, you’re alright!” Magda cried.

Odie continued to whimper, his tail controlling his body, and his excitement and relief was palpable.

“Come on, we have to go,” said Ravi. He laid a soft hand on Magda’s back.

Magda stood up beside him, but her heart was breaking. “We can’t just leave them.”

“That distraction won’t work for long,” said Ravi, “and they’ll be back soon to get the next dog.”

“We have to try.”

Ravi appeared fearful, but with one look in Magda’s eyes, his expression grew more determined. “You’re right.”

While some of the dogs cowered in the back of their cages, others were vicious fighters, with the signs of blood on their teeth. Magda and Ravi were careful to only open the cages of the dogs that they were sure wouldn’t rip them to pieces. They helped the majority of the smaller dogs escape, before turning to the larger dogs that were less menacing. One by one, the dogs raced out of the wine cellar and up the stairs, into the chaos of the fighting match above. Soon, shouts were coming from the story above.

Suddenly Odie yelped beside Magda, facing a cage. He stood in front of a fluffy, golden dog, almost as large as he was. Its ears were floppy and its demeanor quite friendly.