Without another thought, she knocked out the guard with a slam of the hilt of her knife to his temple. He dropped to the ground, and she stepped into the cell.

The guards had only had Teo for half a day, but blood matted his hair and face, with dark bruises underneath. Gulping, she began unlocking him from his chains.

“Why are you here?” he asked in a harsh rumble of a voice.

“We came to join you. Prison’s more fun with friends, don’t you think?”

When the chains came loose, he pushed away from her, back into the wall.

“Teo, it’s me!” she hissed, holding up her hands.

“Get away from me,” he said in a ragged voice.

She stepped back immediately, her heart clenching in her chest. After a few seconds, Teo pushed the hair from his face. His hand came away bloody.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second, trying to calm the anger that swept through her. If Teo had been a Steel, they would never do this to him. If he’d had Ryuu’s privilege, he could get away with so much more than simply helping a fugitive escape.

“We’re getting you out of here.”

“I said, ‘get away,’” he hissed, and for a second, she thought he was going to lunge at her. But while he looked too weak to even swing a fist, his eyes were fierce and full of hatred—a venomous look directed at her.

The sight of it made her nauseous, made her wish she was anywhere other than here. But she deserved his anger. She was the reason his mother was dead.

When she next spoke, the words tasted like bitter poison in her mouth. “When we get out of here, you can hate me as much as you want. But if you don’t get up now, I’ll drag you out.”

“What is the point?” he asked, turning his head so she could hardly see his face.

“Please,” she said, reaching out to help him stand, but he lifted his arm to block her from coming any closer.

“I can walk,” he spat out as he used his other hand to help push himself up the wall, knees shaking.

Fighting the urge to raise an eyebrow, she gave him distance, but stayed close enough to help if he needed it. They left the cell to rejoin Ryuu and Raurie on the walkway. Both of them instantly moved toward Teo, but he shook them off.

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “If you help me too much, we won’t get out of here at all. What’s the plan?”

“No idea,” Aina said. “Ryuu, could any of these other corridors lead to the subway tunnels again?”

He gave a half shrug, half nod. “They might, but if we have to blow up another vent, the sound of the explosion could draw the guards toward us. They’re on the lookout for intruders now.”

“Then how about we use an explosion to draw them away?” Aina whispered, her gaze moving up the walls of the prison that twisted narrower and narrower like a bottleneck the farther up they went.