I was so long in Seclusion that everyone forgot about me

'Be careful,' she said to me as we slipped out of the loge, me draped around Deidre's neck.

'Naw, are you worried about me?' I teased.

'Worried you'll destroy the merchandise, maybe,' she replied dryly.

I laughed, as the door closed behind us.

The two knights flanking the door to our loge glanced our way—probably wondering why we were leaving just as the auction was starting. But Deidre didn't spare them so much as a look. Strangely enough, that seemed to work. I guess arrogance was the currency here. Made them too hesitant to ask anything. Or maybe they were trained not to ask questions to anyone seated on the upper floors.

That part actually surprised me a little, considering Deidre still wore her kitsune form. But I decided not to think too hard about it.

"Where to first?" I whispered.

Deidre took a long look around, then headed for a narrow side stair that wound downward. "Let's try this way. Looks less… trafficked."

The demoness then proceeded downstairs, while I kept wondering what exactly was going on in her head. Ever since the night we found her, she'd been quiet and reserved—focused only on doing what succubi did best: charming people. Day after day without properly speaking to anyone, at least according to Kazari.

As we descended, servants crossed paths with us now and then, balancing trays or wine sets, moving in both directions. None paid us any mind.

"Follow the one with the empty tray," I said.

The demoness nodded, and we followed him down to the level where we had first entered the auction house. The servant turned right, then again after a few seconds, leading us into a short hallway. He passed through a swinging door that clearly led into the kitchens—the steady stream of servants carrying full trays made that obvious. Two guards stood at the hallway entrance, watching everyone who passed through.

"We can't go that way," I muttered.

"Yeah, let me think," she said, walking past the guards with just enough ease not to attract more attention than we already had.

Eventually, we reached the far edge of the public area. The marble underfoot had lost its polish, chilled and roughened by years of foot traffic. Two hallways branched ahead. The broader one on the right curved sharply inward, probably leading behind the stage. No guards were stationed there, or at least none I could see. The hallway to the left, though? Three guards, all of them heavily armored.

Deidre gave them a long look. "That has to lead to the stage's underbelly. We should get in there."

"And how exactly?" I asked.

She just smiled. "Watch me."

As we moved closer, I started picking up bits of their conversation...

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us after work to the Dancing Tails, Joe?"

"I already told you, I'm not interested in other women. Last time I only joined you because you wore me down. Lara nearly ripped my head off, and we're trying for another kid. So yes, I'm sure."

"Told you, Berndt. Let Joe be. We'll have enough fun without him. I heard Kazari's sister started wor—"

The sentence died the moment they saw us stepping closer.

"Halt!"

Deidre's tails curled behind me, slow and tempting. "Oh my, is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry, dear guest, but this area is off-limits to anyone except guild personnel," said one of the guards.

"Didn't the butler inform you? We were told we could review some of the living goods. Our mistress is quite interested—and she prefers to know whether the second half of the auction is worth her time," Deidre said sweetly.

It wasn't even a bad lie. After what Thorald told us, it sounded plausible. But the lead guard only shook his head.

"Without a direct order, we can't let you pass. Unless you bring him here yourself, I'm afraid the answer is no."

Deidre stepped forward, letting her voice drop half a note. "My, my. I'm not sure our mistress will take kindly to a delay. She has very little patience, especially when it comes to fresh blood."

She feigned surprise, covering her mask with her hand like she'd let something slip.

The guards glanced at each other. Joe leaned over and muttered, "Hey... is this the Ancient Blood we were warned about? Should we... let them through?"

"Hell no. If we're wrong, we lose our heads," Berndt hissed.

This wasn't going well.

Then the air shifted. Thickened. Sweet. It hit hard, like sugar and smoke. I tasted it. Honey and warmth, way too strong. A whisper across the mind. I shook my head, already familiar with the feeling. It was like Kazari's charm. Just stronger. More forced.

"I think we should let them pass," the third guard suddenly said.

"Ben's right. Let's not risk it. I don't want any heat from Alexander," Berndt added.

Joe shook his head stubbornly. "No. Not without an order."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Joe," Ben snapped. "Ever since you married Lara, you've turned into a complete ass-kisser. You sure she's not a secret witch?"

"What's that supposed to mean? Just because I actually follow the rules so none of us lose our heads doesn't make me an ass-kisser. What the hell is wrong with the two of you?"

I leaned closer to Deidre. "Your charm isn't working on him."

"I noticed," she muttered.

Joe was watching us now. Really watching. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"That's your doing, isn't it?"

Deidre let out a quiet sigh. "Why did we have to get the one man in this entire place who's actually faithful to his wife?"

I stayed quiet, watching him. He wasn't dumb, or scared. Definitely not the type we could bribe either.

Deidre didn't flinch. Her hand dropped from her mask, and her head tilted with deliberate grace. Her tails moved once, slow and heavy. When she spoke, her voice had cooled into something soft and dangerously sharp.

"My, my," she said again. "Imagine if the butler heard about this little delay. Or Alexander himself. He did arrange for private buyers tonight, after all. I'd hate for anyone to think you were... interfering."

A long beat followed. Joe's stance shifted. His hand twitched inches away from his blade.

"She's right, Joe," Ben muttered. "You want to explain to Lord Alexander why a buyer walked?"

Berndt nodded. "This isn't worth getting strung up over."

Joe's mouth opened, then closed. Duty warred with the very real risk of getting hanged. He swallowed hard.

"Fine," he finally said. "But if this comes back to bite us, I'm out. This is on you."

Ben clapped him on the back, too forcefully. "Yeah, yeah. We saw nothing. Heard nothing."

Joe stepped aside. His jaw was clenched so hard I could see the muscle twitching.

Deidre dipped her head, all velvet grace. "Thank you, gentlemen."

We passed him last. He kept his eyes down, still playing it safe.

Goddess, charm magic was terrifying. They really would've turned on him—just like that. Was Deidre really that powerful? Then again... why hadn't it worked on Joe?

As if on cue, the demoness stumbled slightly, catching herself on the wall. Her breathing had gone shallow.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"They were... stronger than I thought. Higher-level," she murmured, drawing in a shaky breath. "It drained a lot more energy than I expected. I just need a second."

Huh. That... hadn't been how it worked before, had it? And she said energy, not mana. What kind of energy did a succubus need, exactly? I had some theories—none of them polite—and definitely not the time to ask.

Shouts were already rising behind us. More guards, by the sound of it. They must have seen us walk in.

"What do you mean you let people inside?!"

"Shit," I hissed. "We have to go. Now!"

Without waiting, I leapt forward and shifted mid-air into my wolf-kin form. Deidre cursed behind me, but followed.

She knew as well as I did. If we stayed put, things would escalate fast. And if that happened, a certain someone wouldn't bother being subtle anymore. Everyone in here might die.

So we did the smart thing and ran down the hall. The air turned colder, metallic. A heavy swinging door waited ahead. It looked… dwarven

"Great," I muttered, already dreading what we'd find on the other side.

As we passed through the door, our shoes clanked against the metal—loud, echoing. So much for subtlety.

"What the..." Deidre breathed, wide-eyed. Yeah, she hadn't expected this. Honestly? I couldn't blame her.

We were on a narrow side-catwalk, easily a hundred feet above the ground, inside what looked like a dwarven-human hybrid warehouse. And not the kind built for grain or lumber.

Metal everywhere. Blackened steel beams crisscrossed overhead, barely visible in the dim industrial cage lights. Giant crates stretched into the dark, stacked like coffins. Rusted chain pulleys hung from groaning girders. Below us, the floor was a maze of storage rows and heavy lockboxes, reinforced with a whole lot of weird runework and glyphs

This wasn't just a simple storehouse. This was an industrial vault. And it went on forever.

"Just how much shit do they keep down here…" I muttered, scanning the endless rows. I couldn't even tell if there was any logic behind it. Some crates were marked. Some weren't. Piles of goods were packed tight, while others had whole aisles around them, like someone was afraid to get too close.

My gaze flicked to Deidre, then back to the layout. Sure, most of it looked like a mess—but after a bit, I started noticing a few things. Here and there, squat reinforced buildings stood out between the rows. Thick walls. No windows. Metal-plated doors. Some kind of dwarven ventilation system built into the top. Too isolated and too solid, with way too much extra care, to be meant for regular goods.

They weren't for storage. They were containment units. Probably where they kept the slaves—and the rarer, more valuable items. Had to be.

I looked around for a way down. The only thing nearby was a raised platform with a lever and a set of dull, flickering runes carved into its base. Definitely a magivator. Looked functional… but about a three-minute sprint away.

"You know how to use one of those?" I asked, pointing at the contraption across the catwalk.

Deidre frowned. "No. I was never good with dwarven machinery. Maybe we—"

Footsteps. Voices. Coming fast behind the door.

I cursed under my breath. Think. Think. Think—

Then I grabbed Deidre with both arms and shoved her straight over the railing.

Her eyes went wide, face full of betrayal. "What the fu—?!"

I grinned and dove after her.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieked as we plummeted.

"Saving our plan," I shouted, catching her wrist mid-fall.

Her expression turned grim as stone. She muttered something that might've been a prayer. Probably sarcastic. I didn't blame her. Even I wasn't sure this would work.

But I'd been training. Quietly. Secretly. Testing my control over the wind powers I'd recently acquired as an elemental, in the few moments no one was watching. So it was now or never.

For Deidre, anyway. I was pretty sure I'd just get revived if I died here. But something told me a fall from this height wouldn't hurt me at all. It'd be her who got splattered. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted.

The ground rushed toward us.

But my conscience won out, like it should. And right before Deidre could splatter face-first into the ground, I managed to shove the air around us with wind magic. Just enough to stop the fall and leave us hovering a few inches above the floor.

I exhaled slowly and lowered us the rest of the way.

Deidre looked like she was about to say something scathing, probably deserved and definitely hurtful, but I didn't let her. I grabbed her arm again and pulled us behind a stack of crates, out of sight from above.

"Shh," I said, just as the swing door slammed open and guards stormed out.

"Where are they?!" Joe's voice barked.

"They can't just be gone!" someone else shouted, metal creaking as hands gripped the railing above.

"I don't see them. Shit."

"Invisibility magic?" Joe asked.

"No, the wards would've caught that. Or any other kind of spell. Maybe a relic?" another guard offered.

Joe swore loudly. "They're still up here somewhere. Find them. I'll alert the guards below. Something's off."

Huh. Good to know. So... my magic didn't count. Whatever detection they were using had to be tied to the System. If my soul wasn't linked yet, maybe my magic wasn't either.

"Let's move," I whispered to Deidre.

We crept through the stacked rows, keeping low, sticking close to the crates. I could hear the tremor of bootsteps above, dozens of them. Their scanning gazes raked every catwalk, searching for the slightest movement.

"They really think we used a relic," Deidre muttered.

I nodded. "Good. Let them. Gives us room to move."

We slipped deeper into the warehouse's underbelly. Each row was a half-labyrinth, packed with mismatched crates and makeshift corridors. Some crates were massive, others bore strange markings of noble seals and glyphs I didn't recognize.

Step by step, we maneuvered through the narrow paths, careful not to make too much noise. I considered using wind magic to muffle our footsteps, but I hadn't tested anything like that yet. Knowing my luck, I'd amplify the sound instead of dampening it.

Finally, we reached one of the reinforced compartments. The walls were cold-forged steel. Now that I was this close, they didn't look built so much as dropped in. Like prison boxes placed here by some giant hand, then sealed and forgotten.

And of course, the door was locked.

Not even a normal lock, either. Just a rotating slab of thick steel layered with glyph-plates and dwarven mechanisms I couldn't read. Heavy and ugly looking. But if I knew one thing about dwarves it was secured to a ridiculous degree.

Because of course it was.

And there was only one way to find out what was inside: breaking in.

"A magical cryptex… not good," muttered Deidre, frowning at the reinforced locking mechanism.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"What's that? Can you solve it?" I asked, crouching beside her.

She ran her fingers along the engravings. "I… don't know. It's dwarven-forged and magically reinforced. If I don't get the combination right, or well… fast enough, it could trigger a trap. Maybe more than one."

"Can't we just break it?"

She turned, giving me a long, skeptical look. "I wouldn't recommend that. Maybe if we had time to study it and—"

I didn't wait for her to finish and threw a single focused wind blade at it from my hand that sliced right through it. The locking mechanism dropped with a low thud.

Nothing bad happened.

Deidre stared at me like I'd grown antlers. Mouth agape. Eyes full of disbelief.

"Worked," I grinned.

She didn't bother replying and just shook her head and pulled the heavy door open. The metal groaned. So did the hinges. And just like that, we were inside.

The air changed immediately. It became cooler and stale. A low hum from the ventilation fans filled the corridor, vibrating faintly through my shoes. Dim blue crystal-lamps buzzed inside iron cages mounted at intervals along the ceiling, casting a sterile, metallic sheen across the room. It was wide, sectioned. Rows of covered cages stretched out in front of us, wrapped in fabric like bird cages to keep them quiet.

Even stale it smelled... too clean in here. Only now the faint scent of bitter herbs and scrubbed stone reached me.

Something shifted beside me. A cough.

I turned fast, pulling back the nearest cloth.

Inside was a lamia. Young, barely an adult. Purple-scaled, tattered clothes hanging limp from her malnourished frame. She shielded her eyes from the sudden light with one shaking hand.

"Wh-who are you?" she rasped. "You're not the usual ones…"

"We're not," Deidre said curtly. "We're looking for kidnapped moon elves. Seen any?"

The lamia let out a weak laugh, coughing between each breath. "Ha… ha… No, I have sssseen nothing. They are not in here. But… I heard they were brought two complexesss farther away."

Deidre studied her, gaze narrowing. "You're of noble blood."

The girl smiled faintly. "Not much of a noble in here, am I? I am Lena. One of many sssspawn of my mother. I wasss on a journey… a hunt… to mark my passssage into adulthood in the eyesss of the clan. It would have granted me the right to claim the family name."

Her voice cooled and the long tail twitched once behind her. "Those damn'ed humansss. They worked with elvesss to trick me. Sssneaky little traitorsss, breaking the treaty in a way that made it sssseem I'd fallen to banditsss… or been devoured by wandering beastsss. An 'honorable death.' Convenient, isssn't it?"

Then she leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You're not going to free me… are you?"

"We don't—" started the demoness next to me, but I raised a hand and cut her off.

'Asche, can you ask Deidre if the goods being auctioned stay here until the event ends, or can people leave with their purchases immediately?'

"You received a message?"

"Yeah. She wants to know if the auctioned goods stay till after the auctions or not."

Deidre thought for a second before answering. "No. As far as the guy told me, they can go at any time if they pay directly. But no one really dares. These auctions are unique—especially this one."

I relayed the information through the link and waited for the reply, which came almost immediately.

'The first slave is already being sold.'

I snarled through the link. 'Shit. They weren't supposed to be sold yet. Maybe... maybe this one's special?' I offered, trying to make sense of it.

A small pause. 'You're probably right. How's it going on your end?'

'We're making... progress,' I answered slowly.

'Good. Find where the others are being held. Sabotage the magivators, the entrances—quietly. Make it look like a malfunction. I want everyone forced through the same way we used.'

I looked at Deidre, who raised a brow. I explained the new addition to our plan. She groaned but complied.

I sighed. 'Deidre's not thrilled about the change of plans, but she's cooperating. We'll probably have to split up to cover it all in time.'

'Understood.'

When I glanced back, Lena was watching me nervously. Maybe more scared than before. I gave her what I assumed was a reassuring smile. She flinched harder.

"Oh come on, no need for that face. Your luck just turned."

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"You're coming with us," I said plainly, slashing her cage's lock with another clean wind arc. "Exactly what I said. Everyone's leaving tonight eventually."

Her eyes were wide now. "Y-you can really do thiss?"

"No promises, but... I don't lie about things like this."

I turned to Deidre. "Stay here with her. Try to find the girls we came for. Get out whoever's strong enough to move or useful right now. The rest will have to wait for round two. It's too dangerous otherwise."

Her expression darkened. She looked like she was about to argue, but I didn't wait. I turned away, already shifting. In a heartbeat, I was in my weasel form. Small. Fast. Almost impossible to spot... I hoped.

I darted into the shadows of the crates, leaving the demoness and the lamia behind.

Time to mess with some dwarven machinery.

╭══◞ Deidre POV ◟══╮

I stood there, blinking. That little bitch had hurled me off the railing like it was nothing, and now she'd dumped the handling of the slaves on me just like that? I mean, I guessed it made sense—this part was easier. Her shapeshifting gave her more options anyway. But still. What the hell was wrong with her and that so-called master of hers… if that even was her master.

Not that I planned to ask. I had a hunch if I pried too far, I'd end up smeared across a wall.
But using her? That, I could do. She didn't seem to mind it either. If helping with this gave me more of her trust, then so be it.

"U-Um… what jusst happened?" asked the lamia, still trying to collect herself.

Her voice slipped thick with sibilants. Normally, nobles didn't let their regional accent show. It was frowned upon. But with everything going on, and her being from the border, it sounded like she'd fallen back into it.

"As you've probably figured out, we're here under orders," I said. "And they just changed. Don't ask too many questions. It's safer that way." I narrowed my eyes slightly. "You said earlier the elves were taken deeper inside?"

She nodded slowly. "Y-yess."

"Good. Did you hear anything else? Anyone down here with skills—lockpicking, magic, anything that might actually help us?" I didn't bother to sugarcoat it. "I can't free everyone right now. And unlike the girl who just left, I don't have the skill to slice open cryptex locks like they're parchment."

Lena slithered out of her cage cautiously, thinking. Eventually, she shook her head.

"Didn't hear a thing. And even if I had, the collars would stop most of them from doing anything."

Disappointing, but not unexpected. I did a slow circuit of the room, glancing into the cages, just in case. She followed without comment. I used my appraisal skill on each of them that seemed promising, but most of the beast-kin here were half-starved and their eyes glassy and resigned. None of them had enough life left to matter.

Except Lena. She still had something burning behind her eyes. The rest? Just another group of villagers taken after a raid. Nothing useful.

We circled back toward the door—then I heard it. Heavy footfalls. Someone was approaching.

I raised a finger to my lips and signaled Lena to hide. She slithered behind a wide cage draped in cloth. I stayed where I was, already forming the spell.

The guard stepped in cautiously. I waited one breath, then unleashed it. Shadow tendrils erupted from the floor, curling around limbs and mouth. The spell drained me more than I liked, so I moved quickly, rushed in behind, and slit her throat with one clean pull of my claw-like nails. The tendrils still held her upright, letting me lower her the rest of the way in silence.

I exhaled slowly. "Level twenty-six," I muttered, reading the System message.

Lena emerged. "That doesn't sound that high," she said, uncertain.

"No," I agreed. I knelt and pulled off the helmet. A young woman and probably still a trainee. "Guess they weren't expecting intruders down here already. That's bad. If she was still in training, someone'll notice she's missing soon. We need to move—fast."

I rifled through the corpse for anything useful, but no keys. Just my luck.

I bit back a groan. I couldn't believe how weak I'd become. Most of the energy I'd drained was already gone. If someone stronger had shown up, I might not be standing here now.

Frustrating as it was, I pushed the thought aside and kept going.

We moved fast, ducking behind crates whenever we heard boots echoing from the catwalks above. Lena's movements were quieter than I expected—scales sliding over the metal floor with barely a sound. Must've been part of her training to become a proper huntress.

Now and then, I caught myself wondering how they brought the items up to the stage. Probably those dwarven magivators again. I just hoped Aska didn't sabotage every single one, otherwise, we'd be stuck down here.

The second locked complex loomed ahead. A thought slipped in before I could block it. Who exactly was behind the Gilded Maw? This wasn't just a trade guild. It was too big, too hidden, too well-funded. And not everything in here was meant for auction. That much was obvious with noble crests marked on half the crates.

I shuddered. Was it the Grey Lords?

No. I pushed the thought down. This wasn't the time. Not while I was still trying to survive.

I stepped toward the lock. The magic behind was clearly the work of a rune mage, and not a bad one either. But thanks to the pest destroying the last one, I managed to catch a quick glimpse of the right combination from the inside while she was talking through her mind. Knowing how lazy guards could be, I figured they reused the same sequence.

A bit of fiddling... then a click. I smiled. The lock came loose with a heavy clunk.

"Let's go inside," I told her, stepping aside so the lamia could enter first.

If there was some trap waiting, better she triggered it than I did. Practicality, not cruelty. I followed just behind, resetting the lock loosely so it would appear untouched from a distance. A necessary deception. Her presence might even serve another use—if the guards discovered a noble-blooded lamia was missing, they could assume someone had simply freed her and fled. With luck, that would distract them, perhaps even pull their attention away from the deeper complexes.

The moment I stepped inside, the difference hit immediately. The air here was heavier. Even staler. The ventilation either was not working or had been ignored entirely. It stank worse than the last one. Sweat, stone, and necrotic flesh. The kind of scent that settled into the bones. This was not a chamber for high-grade merchandise, this was a bin.

Not slaves for bidding. Likely something else. Something meant to be used. Meat for beasts. Or bodies for the colosseum.

The silence felt different too. Not emptier. Just... as if they had long given up. And beneath it, the sound of breathing. Faint. Uneven. Sickly. If there were whispers once, they were long dead now

"Stay by the door," I told Lena. I'll sweep the area.

Cage after cage. I gave each one a quick glance, running silent appraisals again. But nothing. Just more tired eyes. More withered souls. Another row of regular sla—

I froze. Then I smiled.

A slow, widening grin. "Well, well… look who we have here."

W-Who?"

I lifted one hand before my face and gripped one of the iron bars with the other. Then I started to laugh. Loud. Ugly. My calm facade cracked like my glamour. I wanted her to hear it. To see it. To feel it.

The woman inside recoiled. Her eyes widened. Her whole body curled backward, pressing herself against the bars as if the rusted old cage could shield her.

"No… no, no, no. NO! It can't be. You're dead. You couldn't have— You couldn't—!"

Her voice cracked, hoarse from disuse and panic. She tried to scream, but it came out as little more than a strangled whisper.

I laughed louder. Unkind. My calm veneer slipped, just a moment.

"Even with the mask, you recognize my voice. Still sharp, aren't you, Kiki?"

I tilted my head, letting the words twist. "Did your new king ever find out what a treacherous little bitch you were in the end?"

A memory surged—me choking on blood, a knife planted deep beneath my ribs. Larko's blade. And next to him, my sister, fanning herself, half-smiling behind silk.

"Was it worth it?" I murmured. "Betraying me?"

Her eyes locked onto mine, burning with hate now. She lunged forward, hands reaching through the bars. I let her try. Then stepped back, calm again.

"You monster. You should have died. This is all your fault. You ruined everything. Why did you have to help the lower races? You were a disgrace as a succubus and even worse as our queen. Betraying you wasn't just necessary, it was the only logical choice."

I crouched until we were level. She had to stare into the blackness of the mask while I watched every twitch of her face.

"And yet here we are," I said softly. "You in the cage. Me on the outside. Reclaiming everything you helped destroy."

She laughed, sharp and desperate. "You think Tarak-Nûr will let you? He's stronger now. Far beyond anything you remember. You could have ruled beside him. You were offered everything. But you threw it all away and forced our hands."

"Forced?" My voice curled around the word. "You always wanted what I had. The name. The crown. The praise. But never the burden."

I leaned in, voice lowering like poison through silk, "And now look at you. A slave. Sold to humans. After everything you did to claw your way forward. How poetic."

"No—"

She was about to protest, but I silenced her with a flick of shadow magic. The collar made it effortless. She couldn't fight it. Couldn't scream. Couldn't lie, couldn't even resist. And it cost me nothing to maintain.

"Well then, sister," I said, stepping back. "Let's hope your new owner puts you to proper use."

I dropped the cloth back down, watching her vanish behind it. Forever. Her eyes stayed fixed on mine until the last sliver of light died. The moment the fabric stood still, I shifted back into the kitsune form, tails trailing behind me.

A fitting end. Truly.

After everything I'd done for her. After shielding her from nobles who sneered at her for being a half-blood. After standing by her when she was called lesser. After taking an arrow to the knee so she could have more, she still betrayed me anyway.

And for what?

For a false king. For a name. For a throne that would always stay out of reach.

I removed my mask for a second and spit on the ground, a bitter taste clung to the back of my throat. Larko, my former childhood friend, was still out there. His blade had struck deeper than her betrayal, because he'd known what I sacrificed. What I gave up for the queendom. And he'd still turned on me. But like my sister, he would pay dearly in the end.

It disgusted me that they'd even accepted help from that banished orc general. Tarak-Nûr.

If my sister had ended up here, caged and sold, then he must have worked against the Empress too. Must've helped sell our people like livestock. And if that was true… I wouldn't just kill him.

I would see his head impaled on a spike, gleaming beneath the sun. And I would make sure the Empress saw it.

Lena blinked at me as I rejoined her by the door. "Did you find someone helpful?"

I brushed past her. "No. Just the lower stock. The kind they sell at regular auctions. Nothing we can use or should free later."

She didn't press. Smart girl.

I opened the door from the inside and checked both directions. Empty.

"Come on," I said. "Let's get to the elves.

╭══◞ Asche POV ◟══╮

I genuinely had no idea if it worked, but I had damaged a few of the gears in the largest magivator at the far end of the warehouse. Probably the one they used to move goods between the surface and down here. I had no idea where exactly it ended, but that didn't matter. As soon as someone tried to move it, the gears should break and jam the whole thing.

But because of the shouting I was forced to listen to through the mind-link about her Dawnbringer, I nearly startled myself into using too much force. Thank the goddess I stopped at the last second. Otherwise, the whole shaft might've come crashing down with a bang.

With that part done, I transformed into a small bird to get back up to the catwalks and find the entrance used by the nobles. Once I reached the top, I returned to weasel form—it still felt like the most non-threatening and sneaky disguise. Easy to overlook even if someone noticed me.

From up here, I could see pretty far and spotted Deidre and Lena already making their way to the third complex, where the moon elves should be. I ran past them and let them handle it. I didn't have time to help anyway.

Just before reaching the first complex, though, I heard the guards shouting.

"Sabrine is dead, and the lamia is gone too. Fuck. Get upstairs and inform Alexander that we have intruders, potentially working for the Ancient Blood."

"Are you sure?" asked another. "The other two were clearly under charm magic. Maybe they faked the appearance of her entourage. That would be a perfect disguise."

"Shit, you're right. Still, inform him of the possibility. Also, don't trust the guards stationed outside the loge. They might've been compromised. Now go!"

"You, Kendrik—you'll check the other complex. The ones where the slaves for the later auction are held. Should be blocks three and four. The most valuable ones were already taken to the section beneath the special area under the auction stage. So it should be fine, but just in case…

"Yes, boss," came a grumpy voice. Then the speaker stepped into view. Heavy plate armor, well over ten feet tall, a giant hammer slung across his back. Uff, good luck, Deidre.

I briefly considered sending a heads-up through the link to the totally-not-a-vampire, but I doubted she'd run into real trouble. And honestly, knowing her, she'd welcome the chance for more theatrics. She lived for this sort of thing, after all.

"Is that a weasel?" said someone suddenly, right in front of me.

…I hadn't noticed them. My head had been too wrapped up in thoughts of her inevitable performance.

I froze and straightened, still in my adorable little form. Oh. Hi, Joe.

"It is. Did it escape from somewhere? Or does it belong to a guest?" he asked.

"Hey, little fluffball. What are you doing up here? Did you get lost?" asked the other guard, a head shorter than Joe.

I tilted my head. Act cute. Act harmless.

"Look at it! What a cute little critter!"

"Careful. Who knows where it's been? What if it bites you? Not gonna explain to your husband why you caught something again," groaned Joe.

"Sometimes, Joe…" the other guard muttered. "Anyway, this isn't what we're looking for, right? The animal around the neck was a fox. Unless that also cou—"

The guard who had reached out froze mid-movement. Both did, actually.

And slowly reached for their weapons.

…So much for stealth.

Before they could react, I jumped off the catwalk and shifted mid-air into a bird. Honestly, I felt stupid for not thinking of this earlier when I pushed Deidre over the railing. Was becoming a wind elemental making me a literal airhead?

"Alarm! The intruder brought a wind elemental! Get it!" Joe yelled, loud enough to alert every nearby guard.

"Why aren't the wards activating?!"

"I have no idea!"

"Quick! Follow it!"

Ugh. This was troublesome.

╭══◞ Deidre POV ◟══╮

These locks had to be fake. When I missed the combination the first time, I fully expected an alarm, a curse, a trap—anything. But nothing happened.

Only now did it really sink in: I'd already used magic inside this place, and still, the supposed wards hadn't reacted. No flare, no detection. What the hell was going on? Were we not the only ones who'd infiltrated this place? Was there another group down here pulling a heist? Ridiculous. No one was that lucky, especially me. But then… what was it?

The thought died as the last tumbler clicked into place. The lock dropped with a dull clink. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. First, this time.

Unlike the complexes before, the air here felt warmer. Cleaner. The magical lighting glowed golden instead of blue. No cloth covered the cages. And I didn't have to search long.

"K-Kazari?" yelped the moon elf woman clutching two children to her chest.

"Kila, I presume?"

She nodded slowly, eyes wide.

"No, I'm not Kazari. But we were sent to free you."

Her voice trembled. "Did the honored guest send you?"

Honored Gue—ah. "Yes. She came herself, entered the auction just in case we didn't find you in time. But we're not out yet."

"I told you she would come!" one of the girls whispered.

"I know, you did, Nelua."

More murmurs echoed from the other cages now. Hopeful, but doubting.

"Are you freeing us too?" asked a wolf beast-kin from a nearby cage.

"In due time," I said, keeping my voice calm. "Right now, I need to make sure these three are safe."

"I can help!" someone behind me called.

A dark elf. Tall and muscular, unlike how his kin were usually built. That was rare.

"How did you get caught?" I asked, surprised by the sight.

He laughed, deep and strangely warm. "Betrayed my creed as a paladin. That's what got me sold. First to the high elves, then to the humans. Now they want me for the colosseum, I think."

A paladin who'd broken their creed and still lived? That was... unexpected.

"I know what you're thinking," he said with a grin. "And yes, I'm interesting. I can tell you things. Useful things. Especially to a succubus like you."

Gasps erupted behind me. Even Lena tensed.

I activated my skill instinctively.

[Appraise]

[System Message: Appraisal blocked. Divine blessing active.]

That…

"You broke your creed and still have a divine blessing?" I muttered. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

He laughed again. "Knew you had high-level Appraise. What else should I have expected? So, do I make the cut?"

I narrowed my eyes. "How did you know?"

"That you're a succubus? Let's just call it an inherited instinct," he said with infuriating casualness.

I pondered for a moment, then slashed through the much weaker cage lock with a flick of my claws.

"You couldn't have done that yourself?"

He shook his head as he walked out at an easy pace. "No. The stupid collar makes it impossible to break the lock yourself. Someone else has to do it. Pretty clever, honestly."

I agreed with his assessment and turned to Kila and her girls next, snapping their lock too.

"Are you really a demon?" the younger girl asked, eyes wide.

"Fîr!" Kila snapped, clearly afraid.

"You don't need to worry," I said, emotionless. "My mission is to get you out. You three first. Then everyone else."

Lena didn't speak, but I saw it in her eyes. Suspicion. Unease. She felt fooled. I couldn't blame her.

Yet before anyone could add another word, I heard the thudding of armored boots on the iron floor.

I hurried to the door and peeked out.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.

The dark elf stepped up beside me and gave a low whistle. "Fred doesn't look happy."

"That's a human?" I hissed.

"Definitely got troll blood in there. Can you take him?"

"Not in my current state."

He chuckled nervously. "No way to remove this collar, right?"

"Nope."

"Then—"

"You're the intruders?" the giant bellowed. "Thought you could just walk out of here? Big mistake."

I shrugged. "It was worth a try."

"You'll make a nice pet for the boss."

I started gathering magic. The hammer-wielding brute surged forward at a ridiculous speed, armor shaking the floor.

Panic clawed at my spine. I threw out my shadow vines—rushed and unstable—but they snapped like paper under his charge. He was too fast. Too heavy.

The hammer swung in from the side. I twisted just enough to avoid being splattered, but the wind shear alone ripped fabric from my clothes and sent me stumbling. I tried to retreat again, to gain distance, but the brute had already repositioned the hammer with impossible speed. It was rising again. Then falling. Straight toward me.

"Well, fuck," I muttered.

The light hit before the blow did. A blinding white flare burst from my wrist—the bracelets the so-called Matriarch had given me erupting to life. In a blink, a barrier unfolded around me. Solid. Radiant. Absolute.

The hammer crashed against it and rebounded with a scream of metal straight into the brute's chestplate.

He was launched backward like a broken toy, slamming into a wall of crates. Wood shattered. Dust exploded outward. Then silence.

I blinked. Once. Twice.

The moon elves, the lamia, even the dark elf—all staring at me with the exact expression I wore.

We said in unison, voices flat with disbelief.

"What just happened?"