RAYNE
The darkness of the Pit felt like a living thing. The man standing before me was a stranger, a threat to my life.
Reid gripped the handle of the silver whip. The metal glinted in the low light of the torch he’d brought down with him.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling against the cold stone wall.
I waited for the shift in the air, for the burning heat of silver tearing into my flesh. I braced myself for the pain that would finally break me.
But it never came.
The silence stretched between the two of us. I carefully pried my eyes open, my breath hitching in my throat.
Reid hadn't moved. The whip hung limp at his side, his knuckles white as he gripped the handle.
He was staring at me, a deep frown etched into his forehead.
"Why did you do it, Rayne?" His voi
