He looked down at his map, pushing his curls back as he studied it. “Put your hoods back on just in case.”
He looked up and watched her back before sighing and pulling on his hood. “Have your weapons at the ready.”
She touched the hilt of her sword from under the cloak, her fingers brushing the fabric she laced it with thoughtfully.
They hurried up yet another flight of stairs, their footsteps loud in the large stone halls. They were completely alone now. Jack held up a hand as they approached a corner, signaling to the crew to stop.
He looked around the corner, moving his hand as if conducting before nodding with resignation. "There are four guards," he murmured. "They're immune to the magic. Get ready."
Avice took one down with ease, the dagger in her hand sliding across the throat of the guard smoothly.
The guards didn't even have enough time to react and their cries of surprise were silenced as each body hit the ground. Jack took a deep breath before opening the door. "Arm yourselves. Be ready."
He opened the door and stepped through. The crew filed in, and they stared up at the silhouette hovering about 40 feet above them, encased in a blue light. The girl's eyes were closed, her black hair flowing around her. She had white strips of fabric acting as her clothing, wrapped tightly around her body. Her head was down, her expression strangely calm. Jack's eyes widened and he staggered forward slightly as if he had been shot. "Natalia...?" he gasped, his face pale.
At the sound of her name, the girl's eyes opened. Her eyes had no whites or pupils, instead filled with a blue light and her head whipped to look at the crew. Jack's hand trembled at his side as he looked up at her. She cocked her head before her hands began to glow. Jack paused before he gasped. "Look away!"
The light grew to a blinding brightness, filling the whole room. One crew member who wasn't lucky enough fell to the floor, his skull charred black, the smell of burnt flesh in the air.
