Fluffy muttered, serious now. "That's no ordinary interference. That's suppression magic. High-tier. Dangerous stuff, princess. Whoever laid it meant to cut lines, to keep prisoners blind."
Evelisse let her voice drop lower, each word heavy as lead. "You were told once. If danger rose, you were to call. Instead, you knelt in silence. You gave me nothing."
The shorter one shook, sobbing now. "We tried! We swear it on our lives!"
The taller's shoulders sagged. "Please… give us one more chance. We'll find a way. We'll carve through the silence."
Her cloak shifted as she stepped forward until she stood just outside the bars. The rune flared, and the prisoners gasped as though the air thickened. Evelisse leaned close enough that her shadow fell across their bowed forms.
"You live," she said, "because I will it. Not because you deserve it. One more failure, and silence will be all you know."
They groaned their thanks, tears streaking their dirt-crusted faces.
