With some

"We can still save do this, the Chavaliers need him Adam!" Mika said. Adam shot her a warning glance, but she just shrugged. "What does it matter now? The High Priest is bound to make a fuss about this, even if no one else noticed the missing guardsmen. The whole temple will be on high alert soon. Our only chance is to reach the Temple Prison before they know we're coming."

"Are... are you heretics?" Winlay asked, thinking back to some of the dark stories she'd heard about heretical cults, tales of perverse rites, violent sacrifices and meals of flesh and blood.

Mika and Adam exchanged a glance. "Not... exactly," she said. "It doesn't matter, anyway. We're going to have to leave him in the hands of the Inquisitors."

Winlay gulped. The chilling tales she'd heard about the heretics were matched by the stories of what the inquisitors did to their victims. "Maybe... maybe not..." she said tentatively.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"Well...Mika's right, the Temple Guards don't know you're here yet, or what your actual objective is. So, no one will be alerting the guards in the prison cells for a while. And as we're right near it, so you may have time..."

Mika grabbed her and kissed her and just for a second as Winlay felt Mika's soft lips brush hers she felt a spark of longing making her blush as brightly as she had when she saw Adam staring at her naked breasts. "Winlay, you're the best!" Mika exclaimed happily before torning back to the handsome Templar Captain. "Adam, we have to try."

He nodded. "Winlay, we'll need you to get back to the convent and wait there."

"No!" Winlay said, surprised at how forceful her voice was. "I want to go with you. I need to know I'm doing the right thing by helping you."

"It's too dangerous-" Adam began, but Mika cut him off.

"She's right. I'd want to know in her place. Besides what do you think will happen to her when Beldan's Templars begin to question her for her role in this?" Winlay saw a look of resignation flicker across Adam's face followed by a grim look of determination.

Adam sighed irritably. "Alright. Just like Mika said, if anyone asks we're taking Winlay to the prison on the High Priest’s orders." He turned his fearsome gaze to her "Keep your head down and don’t say anything."

They walked into the hallway, Mika escorted between the 'Herald' and the Templar Captain. Adam seemed to have a good sense of where he was going and after several turns in the mazelike hallways and down three separate flights of stairs deeper and deeper into the bowels of the Church Palace he motioned to Mika and Winlay that they were getting close.

The trio saw two Templar standing guard. Mika nodded at the Adam with a determined look on her face. Winlay missed the sparkle that she was accustomed to seeing in Mika's eyes. Adam's steel gray eyes were equally determined and Winlay knew she'd be willing to follow a man like that to the ends of the earth.

"High Priest Beldan wants this woman detained in the most secure cell available." Adam informed the two guards. Winlay kept her eyes down so she could only guess at the surprised looks that the two must have given Adam. "Not with the other girls, but in the cells reserved for High Heresy and treason."

"Xelta's Flaps!" Swore one of the guards. "What this sweet little thing do to the High Priest that earned her that kind of treatment." And then after the slightest pause he added quickly "Never mind, I don't want to know."

They entered the lower levels of the prison through three sets of reinforced steel doors each set guarded by men in the uniforms of the Templar and the purple sashes of Beldan's private guards. The guards led them through the hallways lit by oil lamps, not the glow-panels of the convent and upper levels of the Temple Palace, taking them past rows of barred doors and down even more flights of stairs. Winlay wondered how they'd ever be able to find their way out again. She tried to ignore the disturbing sounds that drifted from the cells.

Finally, as they passed the heavily reinforced doors at the bottom of the underground complex, she began to hear muffled cries from within the surrounding cells. Their escort unlocked one of the small cell doors, and the three of them were led into small chamber with chains bolted to the back wall. Winlay missed whatever secret signal that Mika and Adam had used, but in less than three seconds the guide who had led them to the cell was now fastened in the very chains that he thought would be used for Winlay.

As soon as the door to the cell was closed Adam and Mika separated and began peering into each of the reamining chambers. Winlay wanted to help but she had no idea who the two were looking for. She didn't have to wait long.

"Mika!" Adam's urgent voice commanded attention. "Get over here with your picks." Winlay watched in amazement as the girl she thought she knew pulled a leather wrapped pack of tools from under her robes and soon opened the lock on the door.

Winlay peered into the dark cell as Adam pushed eagerly past Mika and into the small chamber.