3
Lianna
Maxon and I reach the end of the hallway. There, we pause by the gate. It takes a moment for my vision to adjust to the dim light.
What I see turns my world upside down.
Before me looms a large and open space. Like the inside of a chimney, it stretches far above. All the walls have the same dull gray look that lined the outer hallway and lobby. Clearly, this place holds more monitors. But that’s not what shocks me. On the floor below, huddled in a corner, there sits a naiad. And not just any naiad, but Avonlea, the most powerful water sprite of her clan.
They captured her.
I scan her body. Normally, Avonlea is blue-skinned and lithe as a ballet dancer. Her long silver hair usually hangs to her ankles. My heart sinks. Small patches of scraggly hair now cling to her skull. A w
