The silence in her cell was absolute, broken only by the low whistle of wind threading through unseen cracks in the stone walls. She huddled in the farthest corner, arms wrapped around her knees, chasing what little warmth she could find.
Her breath came in thin, trembling threads. Beau's face kept surfacing in her mind, his wide eyes, the stubborn set of his jaw. Was he cold? Hungry?
The guilt twisted deep. She'd been sleeping in a warm bed while he... while he might have been kept here, caged like an animal.
A metallic clink shattered her thoughts. Chains, rattling somewhere beyond the dark. Her head snapped toward the sound, every muscle tensing. She pushed herself upright, legs shaky, and crept to the bars.
"H—Hello?"
Silence.
She gripped the iron tighter. "Is anyone there?" Loud
