For three days, I stayed locked in the windowless room like a thing waiting to be priced.
Every day Victor came on time. He forced me to touch his frozen mind again and again. Hungry ghosts slammed harder each time. He drained me dry, then left me on the cold bed while he sat by the fire like a statue.
On the fourth morning, he spoke.
“You can move around the tower. Not the whole castle. Don’t push it.”
Even small freedom felt like light in the dark. I sat up fast, ignoring the rib pain.
The tower was tiny—one bedroom, training room, study full of books, narrow stairs to the balcony.
I stumbled toward the balcony.
Wind and snow hit hard. The cold bit my face, but I breathed deep, feeling alive.
“Thea!”
I turned. Leo’s silver hair shone. He stood at the top of the stairs, grinning
