.........
Lake
.........
As I struggled to my feet, my voice came out in a shaky whisper. "Joel?" I uttered, and he rushed over to me. The look on his face was undecipherable, and I almost hugged him, but his gaze shifted to the guard digging nearby—a stark reminder of the danger we were in. I held back, and tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. He and I had never been friends, but seeing him was like seeing family in the hellhole I was in. "She said you were dead," he whispered, stopping in front of me, and my voice broke as I replied. "She killed Azarios."
"I’m sorry," he said, and he began to speak again, but I cut him off, asking how Minerva was and if The Priestess hadn't hurt her. But before he could respond, I saw it in his expression. Something was wrong. Fear clenche
