Free Darkness Wanes by Susan Illene Page A

never be.”
    “Alright, that’s enough,” Eli said firmly. “She’s proven herself more than once and has never betrayed our kind. Leave her alone.”
    Udo stepped up to the bars of his prison cell and glared my way. He reminded me of a professional wrestler with his shaved head and bulging muscles. I was rather certain he could break me in half, given the chance.
    “If she was truly useful,” he said, his deep voice echoing through the tunnel, “Ariel wouldn’t have fallen and Yerik wouldn’t be locked away on some distant planet. As far as I’m concerned, she’s done more harm than good.”
    I winced. Guilt had been eating away at me for months over Ariel. She was the kindest archangel I knew and she’d been cast down to Hell for helping supernaturals. I wasn’t as much a fan of Yerik—a daimoun born from an unsanctioned union between a demon and angel—but he had been trying to do the right thing in his own way. Without his help, we couldn’t have freed the nerou. I could only imagine how his absence affected his wife and newly reunited nerou son he left behind. They were the ones I felt bad about.
    Maybe if I’d tried a little harder, I could have at least negotiated a lighter sentence for them. I hoped to rectify that after I got out of Purgatory, but I couldn’t tell these nephilim my plans without risking exposure. It was dangerous enough discussing the first step with Bartol.
    “She saved Yerik’s wife from dying and helped free the nerou,” Eli pointed out. “That should count for something.”
    My senses perked up and I stiffened. “Guards are coming. About a dozen of them.”
    Everyone grew silent. Most of them didn’t like me, but they’d learned to listen to my warnings. Some of the nephilim had contraband in their cells. I caught two of them across the tunnel stuffing items under their pallets as soon as I raised the alert. One guy had a homemade knife and another a small locket he’d managed to keep despite all our personal possessions being confiscated. I didn’t want to know how he managed that, considering we’d lost our clothes as well.
    “A dozen? Why would that many guards come now?” I heard someone down the row ask.
    “Good question,” another answered, his tone reflecting the nervous tension rising among us.
    We’d gotten used to the daily pattern. It was almost time for us to bed down for the night and it only took two guards to collect our food bowls. Usually, we didn’t see a large contingent except when coming or going to the mines.
    They appeared around the bend in the tunnel and marched toward us, spreading out. One guard stopped in front of every cell door with the exception of mine and Bartol’s. Their expressions were solemn. Fear and confusion filled the air as they began yanking prisoners out.
    “What’s going on?” someone asked. I couldn’t see the speaker from my vantage point.
    “We must prepare you for release. You’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
    Fear turned into excitement. No one had been certain exactly when our sentences ended, but most thought it would be at least a few more days. The guardians had preferred to keep us in the dark on the specifics—one more way to torture us.
    After hearing the news, the nephilim didn’t need any encouragement to exit their cells or don their shackles. Bartol and I exchanged worried glances as we continued to be ignored. It was rather clear we weren’t leaving. I pressed my face against the bars and watched the prisoners line up along the tunnel. They were getting out sooner than expected, but why wasn’t I joining them? Or Bartol? His sentence was near the end as well.
    I caught one of the guard’s eyes. “What about Bartol and me?”
    “You’re not due to get out for a few more days,” he said, locking the last prisoner to the chain they’d formed.
    Eli turned from his position at the end of the line. “We arrived before you, but don’t worry—I’m sure you’ll be out soon. I’ll