I was going insane. I had only been in the cell for a few hours, but I knew that by now Thorne must know that things had gone wrong. I knew he wouldn’t just leave me here, but the waiting was driving me crazy. The cell stank of mildew and rot. Every breath coated my tongue with damp stone, every exhale felt like it clung to the walls. I hated it. The chains bolted into the floor rattled whenever I moved, a cruel reminder that even if I wasn’t locked in them, I was still trapped. Ray kept whispering in my head, steady and firm.
“Stay calm. Don’t give him anything,” I didn’t plan on giving anyone anything. Thomas had visited me a few times already. The first time, he smiled like this was a casual meeting, like I had just wandered in here on my own. He asked questions with a softness that o
