Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 45: Roxy

"Come on," I said, gesturing towards the open door. "We've been distracted enough. Let's get them out of here."

Jasmine had to shock all of the locks, since they had been made with fireproof metal. I wondered why Cinaer hadn't just used the same stuff for his magic manacles-and also where he was getting all of his resources from. What the flames was going on in Kalme? They must have been plotting a rebellion for years.

"Let's see who's behind door number one." I grinned, pushing against the wooden hinge. "Oh. Well that's an anticlimax," I said, looking into my mother's eyes.

"You!" she shouted, scrambling to her feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Not rescuing you, that's for sure," I replied, backing out of the room. I gestured to the others, smiling. "Bring the other prisoner. They can keep each other company."

"Roxy?" Avery seemed confused. "I know she's not the greatest mother in the world, but surely you're not going to-"

"Oh yes, I definitely am." I looked my mother square in the eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you-I'm not even going to hurt you. I'm being a much better daughter than you have ever been a mother. But I am in the middle of some very important stuff right now and I definitely don't need you getting in my way. So I'm going to leave you in here, with her," I added, gesturing to Adresteia, who Jasmine had just dragged into the cell. "And I will deal with you both once I've saved the world from the monster you created, okay?" And then I slammed the door shut on my mother's shocked face, picking the lock back up off the floor and clicking it into place.

We found Avery's mother next, who Roxy allowed out, much to Ave's relief. Then Raphael and Blaise, who had just had the misfortune to get on Cin's bad side.

In the fifth cell we found Vincent. He looked a little beaten up, but he was alive. His eyes grew wide when he saw me. "Roxy? What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you off course, silly. You didn't really think that I would leave you here, after everything you did for me, did you?"

He got to his feet, his legs shaking from disuse. "I wasn't even sure that you were still alive!"

"I made it to the Arcan Realm eventually-after an unfortunate detour to the Sephans. But Cin has gone crazy and we need help bringing him down, so Brae sent a rescue team over to collect the backup."

I smiled, but Vincent just looked at me blankly. "Sorry, I'm going too fast, aren't I?" I threw my arms round his shoulders and hugged him tightly. "I'm just so pleased to see you again. I didn't think that I ever would!"

"Nor did I," he said, returning the hug briefly, before releasing me and looking round at the others. "What about your father?"

"In here!" Jasmine answered from the final cell. I could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Dad?" I moved away from Vincent to stand beside Jasmine.

My father was standing in the middle of the cell, looking at the two of us as if he was seeing a ghost. "Roxy? Is that really you?"

"Of course it is!" I rushed forwards to hug him, but I could tell that he was looking over his shoulder, back at Jazz.

"You're the Arcan girl, aren't you?"

"Yes," was all she said, her nerve gone. I could hear the anxiety, even in just that one word.

"Dad," I said, pulling away from my father and going back to stand next to Jazz. "Let me reintroduce you to Jasmine. She's the daughter of Queen Aurelia of the Brizan Realm and, well, you."