They walked single file, Han in the middle. They descended another flight of narrow, worn stone steps to a level even lower than the dungeons, into air that was dank and musty. They must have brought him into the dungeons this way, but at that time Han had been hooded and immobilized. It was awkward walking down the uneven, broken steps with his hands bound, tethered to Fiona.

If I threw myself down the steps, would it send them tumbling, too? Han wondered. It might work, assuming I don’t knock myself senseless. Which seemed likely, weak from hunger and blood loss as he was, his hands chained together. He decided to wait for a better opportunity. He gimped along, with Fiona prodding him, urging him forward.

They paused at a joining of tunnels. Lord Bayar produced a velvet bag from under his coat and tossed it to Han, who caught it reflexively in both hands, maimed fingers and all. With some difficulty, he unknotted the drawstring and drew out a leather-wrapped bundle.

“I am going to touch my amulet now,” Han announced in a loud voice. “I need to feed it some power.”

Bayar nodded curtly, and Han began to unwrap the serpent amulet.

As he unfolded the leather, light spilled from within as the amulet responded to his touch. He cradled the jinxpiece between his hands, like a soaker with his first drink of the day. The release of magic was like getting relief from a toothache that had been dogging him for days.

Han was physically drained, but primed with unchanneled flash. The amulet was still stoked from before the Bayars had taken it away from him. Obviously, they hadn’t tried to tamper with it since Fiona’s failed attempt.

Han slipped the chain over his head while the Bayars glared at him jealously. He took his time, racking his brain for a strategy, someplace he could take them that wasn’t the Armory of the Gifted Kings. Some way to make an opportunity for escape.

Could he lead them back toward the city and surface on familiar ground? Once there, it might be possible to break away. Especially with a war going on. If it was going on.

“You’ve said that the armory is accessible via the tunnels,” Lord Bayar said, as if overhearing Han’s thoughts. “Given the fighting going on in the Vale, it’s best we stay underground.”

“As long as we don’t get lost,” Han said. “I don’t know my way around down there.”

“I would advise you to make sure that we don’t get lost,” Bayar said, biting off each word. “Our family has used the tunnels since the Breaking. When I was Micah’s age, I explored them thoroughly, looking for the armory.”

“But you never found it,” Han said.