Delphine point of view
I was dead. I knew I was dead. The air here felt different, lighter, almost peaceful. For the first time in weeks, I felt something other than pain. But just as quickly as that feeling came, it was ripped away.
A cold shock spread through my body, dragging me back. It felt like I’d been plunged into ice water. My chest tightened, and my breath came in sharp, desperate gasps. That was when I realized....I wasn’t dead. A bucket of water had been dumped over me.
Laughter filled my ears, distant at first, then growing clearer as my vision adjusted. My head throbbed. I tried to move, but I couldn’t. My head was being held up from both sides, keeping me from falling forward. My arms were restrained too, gripped tightly on either side.
Then I saw him. Their leader. He
