Thalia
I had lost track of how many times I woke up gasping.
One moment I would drift off. The next, I was staring into the darkness again, my pulse racing for no reason I could explain.
Eventually, I stopped trying to sleep.
The cell felt smaller than it had the night before. Every creak of metal seemed louder, every minute longer.
By the time exhaustion settled behind my eyes, I was already sitting on the floor with my back against the wall.
The thought of sleeping again made my stomach tighten. I knew exactly what would be waiting for me the moment I closed my eyes.
The sharp rattle of metal pulled me out of my thoughts.
I lifted my head as footsteps stopped outside the cell.
A key scraped against the lock.
A moment later, the door swung open.
The man standing there looked f
