Free War (The True Reign Series) by Jennifer Anne Davis

around and kicked the soldier’s face, knocking him over. Darmik quickly grabbed one of the soldier’s swords and hit each man on the head with the hilt, rendering them unconscious.
    With both men incapacitated, Darmik stood next to the door, placing his body flat against the wall, awaiting the warden’s return. He knew, all-too well, the games Emperion interrogators played. A high-pitched female scream laced with pain echoed through the dungeon. He couldn’t let it affect him. If the interrogator discovered Darmik’s weak spot, he’d be sure to hurt Ellie and Vesha in an attempt to get him to cooperate.
    After several minutes, the door swung open and the warden ducked inside. Darmik grabbed the man’s tunic, pulled his body forward, and slammed the warden’s head against the stone wall. The man fell to the ground, unconscious.
    In case other soldiers were near, Darmik pulled the warden up and used his body as a human shield. Stepping into the hallway, all was quiet. Darmik knew from his time in Emperion that they typically kept people arrested together near one another for interrogation purposes. His friends should be nearby. Going to the next door, he listened for noises inside. He couldn’t tell who was behind the door, but he heard voices. Darmik lowered the unconscious warden to the ground. Searching the man’s pockets, he found a set of keys. He fumbled with them until he found the one for his manacles. Once his wrists were free from the metal, he stood, pulling the warden up with him. Reaching for the handle, he flung the door open and rushed inside, using the warden as a shield.
    One soldier held Savenek by the arm , while the other opened the manacles on the table, preparing them for use. Darmik shoved the warden’s body at the guard near Savenek. Then Darmik jumped over the table, landing next to a startled soldier. A jab, reverse, and a roundhouse kick sent the man to the ground. Darmik grabbed one of the chains attached to the table and swung it at the man’s head, knocking him out.
    Darmik turned to help Savenek, who stood over the body of the other soldier, smiling.
    “Is he unconscious or dead?” Darmik asked.
    “Probably unconscious,” Savenek mused. “And I thought you told us to do whatever they said.”
    “ Well,” Darmik answered, “there’s been a slight change.” He peered into the hallway.
    “ What’s the new plan?” Savenek whispered, coming to stand next to him.
    “ Not sure. But things are too quiet. Something’s not right.”
    The guards started to stir. “Want to lock these guys in here?” Savenek asked.
    Darmik nodded. “Grab the keys in the warden’s right pocket. There should be one in there that unlocks your bindings.” Savenek did as Darmik said, and they stepped into the hallway, locking the door behind them. Darmik pointed to the next door, and Savenek nodded. As before, Darmik grabbed the handle, throwing open the door. They rushed inside. Savenek took one soldier down, while Darmik incapacitated the other one.
    Audek lay on the table. Savenek quick ly shuffled through the keys until he found one that unlocked the metal encasing his arms and legs.
    “ I take it things aren’t going as planned,” Audek said as he sat up.
    “ No,” Darmik snapped, pacing the room.
    “ Well, what are we waiting for?” Audek asked. “Let’s go rescue everyone else.”
    Darmik shook his head “We’ll never make it out of the dungeon.”
    “ So far it’s been fairly easy,” Savenek said.
    “ We have two options. We can stick together and try to rescue the rest of our group. If we do so, we run the risk of being recaptured. If they catch us, we could all be killed.” He glanced into the hallway—no one was about. “Or,” he continued, “we can assume capture is imminent and split up, hoping one of us makes it out alive.”
    “Which plan has a higher likelihood of success ?” Savenek asked, coming to stand next to him.
    Darmik calculated the risks of each option.