Maya's POV
The sun was just beginning to rise when they came for me, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold that would have been beautiful under different circumstances. I'd spent the night sitting against the cold stone wall, not sleeping, just listening to my heart beat and wondering how many more times it would before the silver stopped it forever.
"Time to go," one of the guards said, not unkindly. He was young, probably close to my age, and I could see he didn't enjoy this part of his job.
They didn't bother with chains this time. I was too weak to run, and we all knew it. The silver poisoning that had been slowly killing me for weeks was in its final stages now. Every step was an effort, every breath a struggle. I leaned heavily on the guards as they helped me up the dungeon
