"We will escape at night when most of the guards are sleeping. Shon is a programmer, so he and I will deactivate all the cameras and computers the administration is in possession of, five minutes before the operation begins.

"We will cross the border from the south so that the warden won't get us in the water. I've heard from Knut that he's a fire elemental, so he must be weak against the water. The water deviants my friends are gathering will help carry us across the ocean. The flying deviants will fly over. 

"When the administration realises we've escaped, it'll be too late - we'll be far from the prison. When we reach the land, we'll hide in the forest and walk farther until we find a safe place to dwell in."

I've explained everything I've come up with so far. I only hope he'll keep his promise and won't denounce us, because the plan is perfect.

"Hmm, that's some shrewd little maiden..." Dagur drinks water from the bottle. "But your plan is faulty, hun."

He stands up. Is he going to denounce us, then? He didn't like the plan? Faulty?!

"Wait!" I grab his arm, "You can't do this to us! Maybe you're enjoying your life here, being the warden's favourite and all, but we're not! We crave freedom! You've never been outside, and you don't know what it's like! Don't go on ruining our chances only because you've never had any!"

A frown covers his face. Well, he's got what he deserved - I won't let him ruin my plans. I've had enough of this hellish place. I want to be free. I don't need to join either the human or the deviant society. I will manage to live by myself using my vampire instincts. I won't back down now when so many inmates and even some administrators have agreed on my proposal. I won't let some mollycoddled old-timer get in my way.

"Don't play with fire, hun. You'll get burnt."

His scarred hand grabs my arm and pushes it off. A strange smile forms on his lips. With that burn-scar on his jaw, which reaches up to his ears, it almost seems like he's always smiling, and a genuine smile makes him even creepier. As a university student I've once been, I can almost associate him with Gwynplaine from Hugo's novel. Save for Gwynplaine was actually kind-hearted, while this guy seems anything but that. I don't even understand what he means by playing with fire. Is he threatening me not to mess with him? He should be the one fearful of whom he's dealing with!

"I'd say the same to you, Dagur."

His shimmering blue eyes are piercing mine, but I don't cast mine down. I won't let him have it his way. I'm not some damsel in distress and I'm surely not a weenie prisoner or a guard he's managed to terrorize. I have the powers to defend myself.

His creepy smile broadens, almost forming into a vile grin of a savage predator. Knut's smile comes to my mind. It is similar, but not quite the same. This guy's smiling like some bloodthirsty emperor who's managed to make an entire kingdom fall to its knees. A mere prisoner's having so much pride and self-confidence is sickening, if not terrifying.

Terrified of his creepiness I might be, but that won't make me yield. I won't let him ruin my plan. Whatever it costs, I'm not letting him out of here. He won't go to the warden. Not while I'm still standing.

He lets my arm go and instead places a hand on my shoulder:

"First of all, nighttime is when most of the feline administrators awaken, not go to sleep. If you escape at that time, they all will know. 

"Second: five minutes are too much. Bob controls the cameras. He's a pedant so he'll know immediately if anything is out of control.

"Third: even if you manage, before you reach the southern shores of the island, the cameras and the computers will turn back on. Your locations will show up on the cameras and everyone will know what you're up to. Terry and his lapdogs will be after you. The warden too, maybe, because he doesn't sleep in wintertime.

"Fourth: not only prisoners are water deviants. Even if you escape before Knut returns, Derek and his henchmen will be after you in the water. Ronald from the vampire district, Angela from the angel district, and Nanny's grandchildren from the fairy one will be chasing you from the air.

"Fifth: most likely, you won't manage to organize your alliance too fast, so Knut will be back by the time you decide to escape. He, agonized that you've tricked him in such a devilish manner, will be after you the first. Stars save you from his wrath, hun. He's no less than the warden when he's mad. They're brothers, after all.

"Sixth, and the last: you all will be caught, and you, as the leader, will be shredded to pieces by the adorable little Knut whom you've thought to be such a cinnamon roll but turns out a killing-machine just like his cuddly big brother.

"That'll be the end of your venture, hun."

His sarcastic smile makes that entire tale all the more horrifying. Caught? Shredded to pieces? I can only imagine Knut's going berserk in that snow leopard form I've seen so often before and tearing me apart... He's right - Knut will surely do that if he finds out I've betrayed his trust so much. After all, even back when I was in his chamber for the first time and he gave me and Shon a pardon, he warned me to never betray his trust. If he realises what I've been up to, and how I've been using him, he'll most likely cut me to shreds, indeed.

Even if we deactivate the cameras, they'll reactivate them. And our locations will show up. It'll be all to naught.

He's right - all of this is hopeless. I've vainly been encouraging my fellow prisoners. I've given them the hope that will never be realised. I'm even more pathetic than I've thought.

So, this is it? There truly is no way out of here? No matter what we do, we'll be caught and punished? We'll have to remain here for the rest of our lives, rotting in our cells?

I feel weak in my knees. I fall before the furred legs of the dreadful beast, who's just burned all my hopes away. I feel a lump in my throat. Tears sting my eyes. It's hopeless. All is hopeless...

I can hear my sniffs as if it were someone else. I'm truly so pathetic... This is so embarrassing! Stop it, Theo! You're giving this rotten eyesore more pleasure by showing your weaknesses! Stop it... Stop...

Big sturdy arms embrace me and press me to the burnt chest covered with the black bath-robe. What does he think he's doing, this bastard?

"Get off me!"

I try to push him away, but his embrace only gets stronger. My voice is so tearful... Damn it all! Now he's having pity on me. I hate this guy!

"I'm sorry, hun, I didn't want to hurt your feelings that much. But the faster you learn about the possible failure, the better. For your own sake."

He finally lets me go. I glare at him, only to see his eyes shimmer with unexplainable magnanimity. Now he looks just like Knut, with that bitter smile... I can guess he's being sincere. At least that's a relief - he truly feels bad he's messed up in relation to the poor eighteen-year-old. But it makes me all the angrier - I'm not some little kid he can hug to calm down! I don't want to look pitiful in his eyes. He's just as pitiful, considering he's been a prisoner his entire life.

He gets up and proffers a hand to me. Hmph, cavalier...

I push his hand off and get up by myself. I don't need knights in shining armour. What I need is a different plan to escape - the one that will surely work. He shouldn't think he's made me reconsider. I'm going to come up with an even better plan, for the prisoners' gathering.

He chuckles at my behaviour and takes another bottle of water from the fridge. He drinks so much... almost like he's some plant elemental trying to refill his dried-up organism.

"So, hun, here's what you should do: if you want to choose a good time, choose around five o'clock in the morning - that is truly when almost everyone sleeps.

"As I've said, five minutes are too much. One minute before the break-out is all you'll have to successfully deactivate all the devices and manage to escape without Bob's realising.

"The locations of the prisoners are marked by the clothes they wear. Before the break-out, make your silkworm fairy allies sew new clothes for you. In those, you should escape, while you leave your prison clothes in your cells on the mattresses. The cameras will show you're sleeping, while you'll be outside.

"Nanny will sense the barrier's breaking. But when they arrange a chasing party, you all will have already crossed.

"Derek and the others are still going to come after you. You'll need to kill at least one of those headmen, or more, to decrease the numbers of the pursuers.

"And finally - if you really love Knut, tell him to come with you."

Tell Knut to come with me? Is he sane? If I tell him anything about it, he'll inform the warden right away!

And how come he's helping me? I thought he wanted to denounce us.

"I can't tell anything to Knut. He'll inform the warden."

"Do you really love him?"

"He doesn't love me back, so what's the sense of it all?" I shrug. I can't understand why he's being so nosy. "My feelings will never be reciprocated. He's an inborn deviant, while I'm just an infected human. He'd never want me for serious."

"I don't know, hun. He's always been talking about you lately."

"Huh?"

"The kitten's never been interested in prisoners. He's generally milder to the law-breakers than his brother, but that was all... until some months ago, he began to talk about one - an unusual maiden who had sneaked into the feline district just to thank him."

A smile covers his burnt face as he watches me. I didn't expect Knut would be talking about me with this old-time prisoner. I never thought he'd be interested in me so much.

"Ever since then, he would always mention you. He said you were the most fearless girl he had ever known, who wasn't afraid even of the warden. It really surprised me." Dagur chuckles. "As months passed, he talked more and more about you, of how you two had become good friends and would go on hunts together... Then, when he was to leave, he asked to keep an eye on you until he'd return. Don't you think those are enough of hints that he does care?"

His arguments do make sense. It seems that Knut's been into me even before I'd fall for him. But telling him about my plans is still dangerous - he will certainly choose his brother over me. After all, the warden is not only a brother to him as Ethan is to me. He is the one who has raised him, as a parent. No one would betray their blood for some girl they had just met. At least, not a decent person, and Knut is one.

"I don't know... I'll think about it."

Dagur's studying me carefully. I guess my answer hasn't really satisfied him. He uncorks yet another bottle of water and takes a deep draught. I begin to think all the lifetime residents of this prison have gone equally insane from being locked-up for ages.

"So, you're not going to denounce us?" I ask.

"Nah. That'd be a pain. I'd rather cheer for you."

"Why such a sudden change of plans?"

"Just a whim."

I wasn't wrong, Dagur is really weird. Nevertheless, now our plan is saved.

"So then, will you help us?" I ask again, just to be sure.

"I'm in if you promise you'll tell everything to Knut."

"Huh? Why? Why are you so keen on him? What if he informs the warden?"

He rolls his eyes. I can tell I've annoyed him. He comes up to me and places a hand on my shoulder:

"Okay, hun, let's make a deal: I promise to take care of Derek and the warden, as well as help you with the escape plan, if you, on your part, promise to tell Knut the truth."

His eyes shimmer blue. His gaze is intense. I can tell he's serious. Informing Knut about the plan might ruin everything, but, on the other hand, having an experienced old-timer such as Dagur in our team would raise the chances of our success. 

Knut might as well understand my motives and forgive me. We've been good friends for months, and before he'd leave, we've moved the relationship further. He will consider my feelings. He has to.

"Okay. You have my word."

"Very well. If you dare break it, I will make sure the warden finds out about your plan. You've got that?"

His predatory glare sends me shudders. Nevertheless, I shake hands with him.

"Deal."

I hope I haven't made a mistake. But even if I have, there's no way back now. The break-out has to happen. I will risk everything to make it happen. It is time to seize my fate in my own hands.