Rhea let the whip slip from her hand. It clattered to the floor, the sound cutting sharply through the suffocating quiet. She exhaled hard, a satisfied smile curving across her lips as the tension drained from her shoulders.
On the ground, Eberhard groaned, clutching at the angry welts striping his chest and arms. Seraphine wasn't much better, doubled over with shallow breaths, red marks raw across her ribs. Their clothes clung awkwardly to their damp skin, and every inhale sounded ragged.
Nikki, however, was the picture of terror. She had pressed herself tight into the corner, as if she could disappear into the wall. Her arms wrapped around her body, curling her small frame further, trembling so violently her hair stuck to her damp cheeks. Each time Rhea so much as shifted, Nikki flinched as if expecting the next strike to land on her.
