Keeping the image of two thousand women on their knees in my mind, I aimed again. Odd and the monkeys battled their way to the doors with an impressive amount of skill. While Quain worked on the locks, the others protected him. I threw my remaining knives, helping them.

It seemed Quain moved in slow motion. Unable to just stand there any longer, I joined those assisting the casualties. Melina followed. More than a dozen had been injured. Blood splattered their robes, matted their hair, and dripped from cuts. I checked each one. A couple had already died. And a few would soon—their injuries fatal. And one young lady teetered on the borderline. The slight woman had been stabbed in the ribs and had a punctured lung. I could assume her injuries. But should I?

I glanced at Melina. She ripped strips of cloth from the bottom of her robe, making bandages. Mom would be proud.

A loud bang then a crack sounded. The fighters flinched, but when the fresh air swept in, erasing the odors of sweat and blood, it recharged the penitents. They doubled their efforts and the remaining warriors fell.

“Quick, this way,” Loren ordered.

They streamed out into the dark street with Quain in the lead. For each wounded lady, two friends supported her. Careful of her ribs, I pulled the borderline patient over my shoulder. Small and thin, she weighed almost nothing.

By the time I reached the street, Flea and Ives had joined Quain. The women pooled around them, drawing unwanted attention. I caught up to them.

“What are you waiting for?” I demanded.

“We’re trying to figure out another route through the tunnels,” Ives said. “With this many people, the one we lit will draw too much attention.”

“Stick with your original route. Staying hidden is no longer a priority.”

“We should make sure they all escape,” Quain said.

“They need to follow the lanterns. We set them this afternoon,” Flea said.

“Ives and Flea, take point,” I ordered. “Keep Melina with you. Odd, you and the monkeys stay with Fydelia and her team to ensure we assist as many women as possible.”

Melina protested, but I cut her off. “Go with Flea. I’ll catch up.”

“What about...?” She gestured to the injured girl.

“I’ve got her. Now go.”

They took off at a run and the women followed. I moved slower. But I encouraged those streaming past me to keep going. Turning left, we traveled through an alley for a couple blocks before entering the underground aqueducts. I gagged on the rotten smell. The splashing sound of hundreds of pairs of bare feet in the cold wet muck echoed throughout the stone tunnel. The noise alone would call every guard and priest down on us. The lanterns were spaced far enough apart to create little pockets of darkness, but close enough that those pockets only happened in straightaways.