Valerie's POV
Dawn approached. I could feel it in the air, in the faint light that crept through the cracks in the stone. The Warden would return soon. I had hours, maybe less.
My fingers were raw. My mouth was b****y. But the lock finally clicked.
The cage door swung open.
I stumbled out, my legs weak from days of confinement. The silver bars had burned my palms raw, but I didn't care. I was free.
I moved to Fenris's cage next. His eyes met mine, sharp despite his exhaustion. "You did it."
"Don't sound so surprised." My fingers worked the lock, the mechanism familiar now. It clicked open, and Fenris crawled out, his body trembling but his gaze steady.
"Lyra next," he said. "Then the warriors. Gretha first if we can...she's the weakest."
I moved through the darkness, unlocking cage
