Elira
Blood trickled from a cut above her brow, blurring her sight as she blinked against the pain.
I stayed still, head resting against the cold wooden beam behind me, wrists raw from the tight ropes biting into my skin. My ankles throbbed, tied to the legs of the creaking chair. The room was dim and damp, a faint scent of burnt herbs lingering in the air.
Footsteps echoed outside. My heart beat slowly, but her gaze remained sharp. I had lost count of the hours, maybe days, since I'd been dragged into the Dagger Moon dungeon.
But I wasn't one to break easily. Not even after the whippings. Not even when Beta smiled and told me I wouldn't leave this place alive.
The door creaked open. I didn't lift her head.
"Still breathing?" Beta's voice was too calm, almost amused. He stepped into the light, his face half-shadowed, but his smirk was clear.
