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Conor knew he had a matter of seconds to convince Ella that he would not carry out his offering. He hoped she would not hurt him, but the memory of their father floated before him and he knew he was in mortal danger if he was her only way up.

“Ella, I won’t do it. I swear I won’t.”

“Can’t, Conor. The word you’re looking for is can’t,” she turned back to the sisters, “I need to take you up. We will find a way. He can’t have sent me down here without a way back.”

“Ha!” Cried Catherine, “he has sent you down with a way back. It is in your brother's hands. But we all come to realise too late that our mutual friend serves only himself.”

Conor spoke then - “what of you - how did he do this to you?”

Ella seemed impatient. The kind of frustration she’d show when the weekly shop was taking too long. But she knew Conor’s question was necessary. Catherine spoke again.

“Some empty took our mothers from us. But the warlord, the man we know as Thadodaho, made us his promises. Vowed to take us to their deep, let us drain it. So we made our offering, but there has been no reward. Instead, he sent us here, left us here to rot.”

Conor replied, “I don’t think he abandoned you here. He sent us down here to find you. Do you even know who’s deep this is?”