Around they went, and down, deep into the belly of the castle of the Pallid King and Queen. And then they came to the dungeons. The entrance was a thick iron door, narrow so that only one person could go through at a time. Ash took the lead, walking in a straight, steady line up to the door, where two Empty soldiers with jagged spears stood guard.

They filed in, one after the other. Eleanor followed the others into the dungeon, firmly deciding to request that Melia complete the process once they were out of here.

They went down another set of stairs, with colorless torches flickering in sconces beside them and water dripping somewhere, and then they reached a corridor lined with cells. The first several were empty, but halfway toward the back of the room a familiar figure sat slumped against the bars. Otto had his knees up to his chest and his gaze fixed blankly on the wall, and for a moment in the strange light, Eleanor thought he had been Emptied already.

But then Otto looked toward them and bolted to his feet. He stared at her, and his mouth dropped open. “No,” he breathed. “No, no—”

“It’s an illusion,” Eleanor said quickly, before he could panic and make too much noise.

Pip appeared at the bars of the opposite cell. Gloaming lay discarded on the ground by her feet, and the bars were covered with bright stripes where the metal had been gouged as if struck by the sword.

The hedgewitch peered out from the cell next to Pip’s, looking more interested than alarmed. She looked like she wanted to pick them apart and see how they worked. The hedgewitch was a little bit Empty herself, Eleanor reflected. Cut off from caring. It was part of what made her powerful. They should all try to be like that. Then Otto wouldn’t look pale and shaky, and Pip wouldn’t have tear tracks raking through the dirt on her cheeks. They could have waited calmly and patiently for Eleanor to arrive.

“What are you doing with them?” Pip demanded.

“They are going to help us escape. And they’re going to come with us. Trust me,” Eleanor said, and Pip nodded. Pip should have asked a lot more questions, Eleanor reflected. If she’d been properly Empty, she wouldn’t have just let Eleanor tell her what to do.

“Do you have the keys?” Otto asked, swallowing his discomfort.

“No, but I can make them,” Melia said. “I will need to borrow from each of you to do it. It will be very uncomfortable, but please submit.”

“Whoa. Hold up. What are you going to do to us?” Pip asked. Eleanor would have been irritated, if she could feel irritation. Couldn’t Pip see that they were doing what they needed to?