Cold stone pressed against Evelynn’s back as she stirred, her head pounding from whatever magic had been used to subdue her. The air was damp, thick with the scent of mildew and something far worse—something ancient, corrupted. She forced her eyes open, her vision blurry at first, but as the torchlight flickered along the crumbling walls, reality set in.
She was bound.
Thick iron shackles wrapped around her wrists, bolted into the tower wall. The weight of them was immense, not just physically but magically—something was suppressing her power. She reached inward, searching for the well of elemental magic she had always relied on, but there was nothing. A void.
Panic rose in her throat like bile.
No. No, no, no.
She took a sharp breath, willing herself to focus, to stay calm. Even if s
