“The world smells different when you wake up in a cage.”
Cold stone pressed against my cheek when I came to.
My wrists burned where the bindings had been, but now they were gone — replaced by iron cuffs chained to the wall. The air was damp, heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the faint, acrid scent of magic.
I pushed myself upright. The room was small — no windows, no door I could see. Just a single archway across from me, shrouded in a black shimmer that pulsed like a heartbeat.
“You’re awake.”
The voice came from the shadows to my left. Ronan stepped into view, leaning against the wall like he’d been there the whole time. His eyes were still black.
“You should have left me with Kade,” I said, my voice raw.
He didn’t flinch. “If I had, you’d be dead.”
I laughed bitterly. “A
