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“Did you forget I am a witch, child?”

“Jade didn’t forget anything,” Adeline stepped in. “That’s why we’re here.”

“Is that so?” Esther asked. She tried to shift herself on the ground, but a violent coughing fit stopped her. I looked away. “Need one more look before I finally die?”

“It’s time,” I said. “The Paragon will attack before nightfall. You told me you would help.”

“Ah, so now you’ve finally decided you need me. Is that it?”

“You can either sit here and rot,” I said, “or you can help your son win this war.”

She was silent for a few moments. “Does he know you’re here?”

“Does that make a difference?”

“It does,” she said, “because I know my son will never want me to fight beside him again. If I show my face outside of these dungeons…”

“He wants your help,” I interrupted. “He just doesn't know if he can trust you.”

Esther smiled; her once perfectly white teeth were now beginning to rot. “I tried to kill him. I would have killed you, too. Although that would have been a mercy compared to what the Paragon will do with you.”

“You really feel no remorse? You could have lived a long, happy life knowing that you murdered your own son?” Adeline spat.

Esther’s face hardened. “I’ve lived a lot longer than the both of you combined. You have no idea what it takes to live a long, happy life.”

“Don’t speak down to me,” Adeline said. “I know plenty. I am not a witch, but I know how to be happy. And turning on those who trust you is not going to help you. Especially since you failed in your efforts to take the power from the peacemaker.”

I stayed silent. Hearing Adeline speak with so much passion was both inspiring and bone-chilling.

“Look,” I interrupted. “You can fight this all you want. You can stay down here and rot and think that you’re better than all of us because of it. Or you can get over your self-righteousness and try to make it up to Malachi. Fight beside him. Fight for him. Redeem yourself.”

“Redeem myself,” she mumbled. Her hands began rubbing at her chained wrists. “I’m afraid I lost that chance a long time ago.”

“You won’t even try?” I asked.

“I’m just one person. Even if I tried to help, I’m too weak now. I’ll have no magic.”

“You’ll find a way,” I argued. She had enough magic to enter my dream the other night. That meant something. “If it’s important enough, you’ll try.”

Seconds felt like hours. Adeline and I stood at the entrance of the cell, waiting for her answer. Waiting for a sign of hope.

It was a dangerous thing, counting on someone else. I prayed to the Saints that this wasn’t a massive mistake.

“Okay,” she finally said. “If you let me out, I’ll fight by my son’s side. I’ll do what I can, I’ll talk to the Paragon. But I can’t promise you anything.”

I sighed in relief.

“We just have to get you out of these chains…”

“Please,” Adeline shrugged, pulling a small pin from her long hair. “I’ve got this.”

She approached Esther and knelt by her side, gently picking the cuffs on her wrists with the pin.

In a few seconds, the chains clattered to the ground. “Can you stand?”

“Of course, I can stand. I’m not dead yet.” She attempted to move to her feet, but struggled with every movement.

Saints. Maybe she wouldn’t be any help to us after all.