Page 89 of Into the Abyss
“I saidno!” she retorted. “Irealized years ago longing for things I could never have waspointless. Besides, Ineverwould wish for it now that Ihave Corson.Never!”
“I believe you.”
I turned my attention back to the bars. Iwas still weakened from my fight and probably feeling somelingering effects from Sloth’s ability, but I should be able to dosomething with these bars.
“I told you, they don’t budge,” Wrensaid.
“Hmm.” I made my way around the cell,jerking on every bar I could, but none of them moved.
Glancing around the cell again, I stared atthe sandstone floor before turning my attention to the ceilingwhere I spotted the large, circular symbol carved five feet over myhead.
The circle encompassed a rotated squareforming a diamond and another square imposed behind it. The squaresheld numerous lines etched into different angles that became a mazethroughout them. At the center of the maze, a monolith shape rosetall.
“I don’t know what those markings are,” Wrensaid, and I realized there was an identical etching in the ceilingof her cell.
“Ancient symbols. When I saw them on themonolith, I assumed they might be some form of demonish, but it’ssomething different.”
“What?”
“I think it’s a binding mark.”
“But if they’re not demonic, then what arethey?”
I rubbed my chin as I pondered this. “Ifthey’re on the monolith, then they must be fae. But why would thefae need a prison? Unless….”
My voice trailed off while I inspected oursurroundings again. My mind spun as I tried to puzzle it out.
“Unless what?” Wren prodded after a fewminutes.
“Unless the fae had more abilities thananyone realized. They didn’t have abilities that manifestedthemselves physically, like your talons or my illusions, but innerones that revealed themselves in this world and in theirsymbols.”
“Like they’re witches or something?”
“The fae could be where the legend ofwitches came from, though they were known for their fair beauty anddidn’t wear pointed hats. They also didn’t cast spells.”
“Or maybe they did,” Wren said as she roseto her feet. “Not like a cauldron kind of spell, but maybe someother type, and maybe those markings are their spells.”
“It could be possible. There is power insymbols as evidenced by the ones that once held up the seals. I’dbet the fae learned the power of these symbols from Absenthees. Themark above us is something they took from the monolith to help themfight their enemies. We’d assumed the fae were pushed out of theAbyss without a fight, and maybe it didn’t become a physicalaltercation, but they did try to resist the jinn. The fae must haveplaced some of the jinn into these cells before they were overrun,and that symbol made it so they couldn’t escape.”
“So how do we get out of here?” Wrenasked.
“Have you tried destroying the symbol?”
“No, but I didn’t think it was a mysticalbinding thing either.”
No, she probably wouldn’t have put the twotogether. She’d never seen the seals.
“Besides, I’m not entirely sure destroyingsome ancient, mystical binding thing is a good idea,” she said.“When the seals fell, they pretty much destroyed Hell.”
“Maybe it’s not a good idea, but it’s theonly one we have.”
Grasping the bars, I locked my legs aroundthem and started to climb.
CHAPTER 38
Amalia
I kept my attention diverted between the horsemenand the ruins where they’d taken Magnus. Having slightly recovered,Lust dragged herself into a seated position a few minutes ago andpropped herself against the wall.
