Valerie's POV
Darkness. Cold.
The smell of blood and old fear, so thick it coated my tongue like ash. I woke in a silver cage so small I couldn't stand, my body curled into a ball, my shoulder screaming where the corrupted wound had been healed.
Now it was open again.
The silver bars pressed against my skin, burning with every touch. I could feel the corruption seeping back into the wound, the dark magic feeding on the reopened flesh. I bit back a scream, my hands pressing against my shoulder.
I was not alone.
Around me, hanging from the ceiling, were dozens of silver cages—each containing one of my team. Fenris hung in the nearest cage, his eyes closed, his body limp. Lyra was beside him, her face pale, her breathing shallow. Sven, his wrists raw from chains, his eyes fixed on nothi
