HAZEL
The sentinels kept their hands locked on my arms as they dragged me through corridors that seemed to narrow the farther we went. The marble floors ended somewhere behind us, replaced by rough stone that scraped under my boots. The air changed too. It grew damp and sour, heavy enough that it sat on my tongue. I wrinkled my nose before I could stop myself.
We went down a staircase that felt carved straight into the earth. Each step pulled the warmth out of my bones. By the time we reached the bottom, my breath fogged faintly in front of my face.
A thick wooden door waited there, already half open. One of the sentinels kicked it the rest of the way. The hinges shrieked.
"Inside."
They shoved me forward. I stumbled and caught myself on the wall, my palm sliding over stone slick with moisture. I pulled my hand back fast and stared at the dark smear on my skin, trying not to think too hard about what it might be.
