The doors opened into an auditorium with a domed ceiling. What made it eerie was not the blinding yellow Tophalite from above nor the sudden dip in temperature as soon as Seiren stepped foot within, but the hundreds of statues standing in circles on steps descending into the centre, lining the outside of the chamber. The faces were all Hannans, their features sharp and chiselled and their eyes blank. The details on their bodies were breathtaking. Seiren half-expected their heads to turn and detect the foreign trespassers to put them down, but they all stayed perfectly still, staring straight ahead. It was an army of stone men, built as if they were to keep people out – or to keep someone in.

Seiren and Madeleine slid in and stuck to the shadows behind the statues. A single, human-sized rock tomb – the sarcophagus, covered with intricate etchings and delicate minerals in all the colours of the runes – sat in the middle of the room. All around, the walls reached up to the skies in all their decorated, glistening glory. At the top sat a circular, black window surrounded by dazzling iridescent stones emitting brighter light than any of the others had thus far. The glow from above threw shadows that rippled as the sediment on the ground moved with the draught, like waves of desert sand. Stone steps descended into the centre, which was bathed in the rainbow lights from above. A heaviness hung in the air, almost stifling, making Seiren's fingertips tingle with magic. Making their way across were five figures – and one of them was the plump, cloaked outline Seiren knew well. Kristen. Seeing her sent chills down Seiren's spine. Her intuition was right. Kristen was after Hanna's corpse – and it was right there. One of the remaining four must be Fautos Tophalis, which meant the other three were the Daemonium members.

Waves of anxious nausea swept over Seiren as she scanned for the other two. Nobody pounced on them when they snuck through the doors earlier and Magus Tophalis continued his silent approach further down the steps unhindered. Where were the last two members of the Daemonium?

The tiniest whisper came from directly above. Seiren had half-anticipated another sneak attack like before. She shoved at Madeleine, throwing herself in the other direction. A whistle through the air told her she'd just avoided the attack. She crashed onto the ground and rolled, her shoulder throbbing from the impact. Across from her, Madeleine scrambled to her feet, arms raised for burst magic. Seiren's head snapped up, one hand held out to halt Madeleine and scanning at the carvings and statues protruding from the walls for that tell-tale ripple. Sure enough, a shape bearing the same pattern as the wall behind it shifted ever so slightly. If she squinted hard enough, she could make out a slim human body behind the bulk of the daemon's body, both of them camouflaged.

Magic coursed down Seiren's arm. Fury erupted within her body, mixing with the energy from her core. She threw her hands before her and clapped her hands. Flash magic exploded from her fingertips and smashed into where the Daemonium member and his daemon sat on the wall.

The resulting boom sent cracks shooting across the vertical surface and dust cascading from above. The daemon became visible, protuberant eyes twitching independently, his summoner dangling precariously from its crown. It was the same young boy who had struck Seiren and Madeleine with his daemon's paralysing poison back at the palace. He kicked his legs beneath his dark blue Daemonium robes, which parted from the hips. His long sleeves fell back, exposing skinny arms and a fresh, scarlet score down his left wrist. Panicking pale eyes glanced down and widened even more when he realised how far he had to fall.

Seiren didn't give him a chance to recover. Picking up a piece of dislodged rock, she sketched a circle. There was another tiny whisper and she leapt out of the way again. The daemon's tongue lashed at the spot where she stood and withdrew. Heat poured off her in waves. Her robe stuck to her back and armpits. It took another three rounds of rushing in, adding to her sketch, and dodging the daemon's tongue from above before the rune was complete – just in time for the boy to secure a foothold and pull himself onto his daemon's back.

The boy stilled. Seiren couldn't see the tongue lashing out, for the movement was so quick. She threw herself to the side again, crashing into one of the statues. Stars exploded before her eyes. She cursed, pulling her torso up. The daemon's tongue struck her across the face. Tiny, hard prickles swept across her cheek as though she were being rubbed with a scrubbing brush. A tingle spread across her skin. She gasped – and then the tongue was gone.

The dark-haired boy on the wall shook his head in apology, appearing forlorn. His daemon crept down, one delicate, spindly leg before the other. Numbness spread across Seiren's face. Saliva oozed out from beneath her tongue and dribbled out of the corner of her mouth. One eyelid lagged down. The peculiar sensation crept down her neck, relaxing the muscles so that her head tilted back. Her body slid down until she lay on the ground, staring helplessly at the approaching Daemonium member and his deadly creature.

The paralysis spread over her shoulders and down her arms, stopping at the elbow. Her chest continued to rise and fall, albeit slowly. Her feet struck the floor repeatedly, struggling to push her flaccid upper body back up. Panicked eyes darted to the boy, who frowned, confused, before glancing down at the ground. The daemon paused, reading some invisible command.

Seiren narrowed her eyes and calmed her mind again. She kicked out. Erratic wind whooshed over her head and swept the boy's black hair back. He flinched, stepping back, hand raised to protect his face. It didn't do any damage – but Seiren wasn't seeking to hurt him.

She snapped her clumsy fingers. The violet rune glowed beneath his feet. With a yelp, the boy and his daemon sunk into the stone ground. His voice echoed around the large, mostly empty chamber. Flailing arms and legs struggled against the softened floor to no avail and he found himself buried up to his knees – and his daemon with all four limbs rooted to the spot.

Seiren's skin throbbed, hot and cold all over. Blinking cold sweat that had dripped into her eyes from her hairline, she forced herself onto her front and commanded weak, trembling hands to push her body up into a sitting position.

"You shouldn't be here," said the boy in a hoarse voice. There was no fear in that young face, merely despair. "The others—"

Numb fingers gripping her makeshift chalk, Seiren sketched, with an awkward arm, a second rune, one Halen Ashworth had sealed into her memory months past. Seiren's breaths came in sharp gasps. Shouts of approaching reinforcement came from the direction of Kristen. She didn't have much time left before more daemons arrive to rip her to shreds. Her rune could be smoother, but it should do the job.

She scuttled back, sensation returning somewhat, and snapped her fingers again. The boy shrieked, arching his back as bursts of electricity ripped through his body. Saliva frothed at his mouth and his eyes rolled back. His black hair stood up on end, crackling. With his muscles seizing, his attention broke, just as Seiren had hoped. With a poof, his camouflaging daemon disappeared back to whatever place it had been conjured from. The boy hit the ground, feet still stuck in the ground, his eyes rolling.

"I wish my ass wasn't here either, but it's not like I had a choice!" Seiren said to his unconscious body.

Heaving a breath, Seiren looked up to see Madeleine engaged in battle with a tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular Daemonium member she didn't recognise, wielding a wagon-sized daemon with a chunky torso, thick arms, and large, paddle-like feet. Its large mouth opened wide, showing a forked tongue and no teeth. Thick muscle rippled beneath leathery skin. Like the boy Seiren had downed, the man relied on his daemon's strength and not his own muscles, controlling his creature whilst standing as still as the statues surrounding them. Madeleine threw blast after blast of burst magic to keep the large-mouthed creature at bay, but she couldn't get close to that man, nor could she inflict significant damage. The daemon darted forward with agility surprising for its build, its jaw snapping dangerously close each time, forcing Madeleine to hop back.

Far away, three figures continued their approach to the sarcophagus, Kristen being one of the three. A fourth figure strolled towards Madeleine – Seiren recognised that slender form and glamorous, sleek black hair anywhere: Cazadia, the woman who had whipped Seiren with joy during her interrogation. She drew something from her side. Seiren grabbed her makeshift chalk and found a spot giving her a straight path to the ground below. She sketched a new rune, the strength returning to her body. She ensured to add the outlet last, keeping an eye on Cazadia's approach. Something glinted in Cazadia's hand. A knife?

Seiren snapped her fingers. Her rune glowed red and explosive power ejected from the outlet, streaking between the statues. Cazadia drew her arm back. Seiren's eyes narrowed. Cazadia held a throwing knife, decorated with jewels at the handle. Seiren's red rune, drawn in haste, exploded just before Cazadia with enough power to startle her and disrupt her aim. The knife sailed far overhead, landing with a clatter somewhere amongst the silent statues behind Madeleine, who remained oblivious to the other opponents. Her blonde plaits flew over her shoulders as she darted back and forth, dodging and rolling from the daemon's attacks, arms flying out with claps and to direct her bursts of air and fire. The distance between her and the Daemonium member grew as his daemon continued to drive her back.

Seiren sprinted down the remaining stone steps, the rocks in her hand digging into her palm. Cazadia watched her with narrowed eyes, her wide lips spread into a half-grin, half-leer. She tucked a loose black hair behind her ear before rolling up her broad, dark blue silk sleeves, showing clusters of gold bracelets around her slender wrists.

"The Karman spy – I'm not at all surprised," she said, drawing out each syllable. "I told Oerse I should have just interrogated you and then killed you – would have saved His Holiness a lot of hassle, but the old cow stood so firmly with her rules."

"Yeah, well, sucks to be you."

Cazadia tossed her head and threw a dirty look over her shoulder. Oerse Gulmore must be accompanying Fautos and Kristen towards Hanna's body.

"I see you've taken care of poor little Ravin. Don't get too full of yourself. That boy's the weakest out of us all. Soft. Cries too much." She wrinkled her nose in disdain. She glanced at Seiren's face and raised her eyebrows. "Although... that's Saraphes's bite, is it not?"

Seiren touched her cheek where the camouflaging daemon had struck her before she caught Ravin.

"What if it was?" she retorted.

"You should be flat on the ground by now. Ravin's useless but Saraphes's venom is quite spectacular." Cazadia tilted her head, twirling the end of her long black plait between slender fingers. "Is this some sort of Karman sorcery? She got you good last time, though, no?"

Seiren didn't know. The last time Ravin's daemon had struck her and Madeleine, they'd both keeled over within seconds, but this time, not only did it only affect her upper body, the effects wore off much sooner than before. Had she developed immunity?

"Maybe it's magic," Seiren said sardonically, curling her lips and quashing the panic pounding against her chest.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can find out from your dead bodies." A chilling smile spread across Cazadia's face. Her eyes glittered and her hands spread before her. A cloud of summoner's dust cascaded onto the ground and swirled at her feet. The stench of cinnamon made Seiren's eyes water and her stomach clench. The ball of dust spun before Cazadia. Seiren took the chance to complete several preliminary circles in preparation for her daemon's attacks – whatever the creature would be.

Madeleine's increasingly-laborious breathing echoed over the arena above the sounds of footsteps and whooshes of burst magic. She still hadn't recovered from their long journey here and was still getting used to Maura's body. Her movements began to slow, her reactions progressively sluggish, and her burst weaker and weaker.

Something hard and thick struck Seiren in the lower back. Her head snapped back with a crack as her attacker hurled her into the air. Seiren yelped; she regretted the momentary concern for her sister. The ground passed beneath her. Seiren curled in time and rolled on landing, deflecting some of the impact that sent a shudder through her body and skull. Landing ungracefully on all fours, she struggled to her feet. She flexed her hands. Empty. Her stone must have careered off somewhere when she crashed. Her head pounded but she forced herself to focus on Cazadia and her daemon.

Cazadia watched with the interest of a predator approaching its prey, her long arms crossed leisurely across her chest, long-lashed eyes unblinking.

"I wouldn't worry too much about your companion, Karman. She won't last long against Soleus and Maroni – Maroni's venom is another magnificent thing to behold... such deadly power, it makes me envious..."

Soleus. The master of tortures and interrogation. Seiren recalled the exact fear and agony that rippled through Kaim's screams when he was under interrogation by that Daemonium member. She hoped Madeleine knew better than to be hit by his daemon.

Stepping forward beside Cazadia was her daemon, a large brown-green creature similar in shape to Martel Solidor's Aphriel, with large puffy cheeks, a chin pouch, and gravity-defying spikes running from the back of its head down the significant length of its tail. Cold golden eyes stared at Seiren. Curved claws clacked across the smooth ground.

"Don't kill her too quickly, Hanilla," Cazadia said softly, running a hand down the daemon's thick forearm. "It's not often we get to play with Karmans. I want to enjoy it."

The daemon called Hanilla blinked and yawned, showing a bottomless pit that was its throat as though displaying its best weapon. Snapping its jaws shut, it scuttled forward with the same surprising agility as Soleus's daemon. Seiren raised her hands to clap. Magus's instructions — to go for the summoner instead — echoed in the back of her mind. She glanced up at the lumbering daemon and bit her lip. Hanilla darted forward, mouth agape. Seiren slammed her palms together, projecting her fury at Kristen through her core. Energy crackled down her arms. She launched her ball of energy at the daemon. The glittering, condensed cluster of flash magic shrank in size and crashed into the side of its cheek before exploding. The resulting boom shuddered through the chamber.

Hanilla stumbled back and righted itself. A gaping hole sat smoking just below its eye.

"This is the sorcery you used to escape our cells?" Cazadia called. "No wonder the old bars couldn't hold you in. It got our mage pretty worried, you know?"

Seiren tensed. Kristen had seen the results of her flash? Then she'd known Seiren and Madeleine were in Hanna all along?

"You look surprised. Didn't expect us to have a mage, too, did you?" Cazadia chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, Karman, but you're not the only one with that sorcery!"

Hanilla advanced, deadly, cold eyes narrowing. Seiren slammed her hands together, the flash magic spinning at the ready in her hands. The daemon darted forward, mouth agape. Seiren jumped out of the way, but residual venom must still be in her system. Her ankle wobbled. The daemon's head glanced by her. Pain exploded in her upper arm and she crashed, rolling to the ground. The flash magic dissolved into nothing. The fall knocked the wind out of Seiren. Cheek and elbow throbbing from the scrape on the rough floor, Seiren tumbled, the world spinning, and came to a halt when she thought she was far enough. To her relief, she was back where she'd started: her three empty circles lay before her. Cazadia smiled.

Seiren swung back her throbbing right arm, fingers sweeping across the ground and finding loose stones. She kept her eyes on the daemon. Aim for the summoner. Gritting her teeth against her protesting arm, she sketched, keeping half an eye on the approaching Hanilla. Cazadia remained afar, focused on controlling her daemon.

Seiren adjusted the outlet. She'd never sent a curved projectile before. Adding in delaying sigils in the other two runes, she squared her shoulders and stood up, dropping the stone. Raising her hands – her right arm twinged again – she clapped them together. Vibrant energy coursed down her arms. She threw her ball of energy at Hanilla once more.

The daemon's eyes widened at the incoming energy. It turned its head – just as Seiren had hoped – and the flash magic burnt yet another hole at the side of its head. It screeched, twisting away from her, blinded by smoke and pain. Viscous blood dripped onto the ground. Seiren snapped her fingers. The first rune activated, glowing red. A burst of scarlet energy erupted from the curved outlet.

She held her breath. The light streaked in an arc, flying over the surface of the ground past the daemon – straight for Cazadia. Seiren activated the other two runes. A streak of fire and another blast of red followed the same projection.

To her astonishment, Hanilla swung back and swept its fat tail around. The first red rune caught the distal third of its tail. An audible crack whipped through the arena. It screeched. Behind it, Cazadia's face darkened in concentration, her hands raised before her. Hanilla stumbled unnaturally, like a puppet wielded by an inexperienced puppeteer. It swung its hindquarters directly in the path of the other two runes. The fire ran over its scales, which appeared unaffected by the heat. The second red rune rammed into its hip, resulting in another crack and another screech.

Seiren panted, cold sweat drenching her from head to toe. Too many flash magic and rune magic attempts back-to-back left her head fuzzy and limbs trembling.

"You're not bad, I'll give you that," Cazadia said, stepping around her daemon leisurely. She glanced sideways. "It's been a while since anyone has managed anything that even touched Hanilla, never mind actually doing bodily damage to him. You're a bit surprised, aren't you, Hanilla?"

She tilted her head up at it and patted its arm. Her daemon hissed, evidently in pain.

"You're an interesting thing, Karman. You can draw your little runes, throw those energy balls – our mage can't do that. Maybe you could be her replacement."

"Go eat sh—"

Before Seiren could finish, there was another familiar sensation of a scrubbing brush scraping across the back of her neck. She spun around, her words dying in her throat, just in time to see Ravin riding his now-visible daemon, whose tongue withdrew into its gaping mouth. This time, the heavy, syrup-like warm sensation poured down her body. Her knees buckled and she crashed to the ground.

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