*Ava*
The bell tower strikes midnight, the deep chime echoing off damp stone. When it fades, only the slow drip of water and the thud of my own pulse remain. Down here, time is measured only by those distant bells. In the pressing dark, it’s impossible to tell one hour from the next otherwise.
Footsteps scrape on the stairwell. Not the slow, lazy shuffle of the usual guard who drops my food. These are purposeful, almost eager. My stomach knots before I even see him.
The torchlight flares in the doorway. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a smirk that makes my skin crawl steps into view.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asks, his voice dripping with false sympathy. “Thought I’d come and give you the good news.”
I keep my face still, even though my heart kicks faster. “And what news would that be?”
