CHAPTER 31
When Rory opened her eyes, the first thing she was aware of was a pounding headache. The second was that her dagger was missing from her side. The third was the smell of the place: sweet sulphur. She sat up with a groan, wincing at the pain at the back of her head.
“She’s awake,” said a gruff voice, and two big hands lifted her up to her feet. “Don’t get any ideas. You pull anything silly and I’ll smack you another.”
The hands released her, and Rory looked around, blinking. She was in the chamber she remembered from her childhood with its walls and ceiling of ochre clay. Sconces holding vapour lamps were affixed directly into the clay, lighting up the space. At the end of the room, Rory could see where the ceiling had caved, but in this part, the beams and buttresses still he
