TWENTY-ONE
Chanting started up from somewhere behind our captors. Too low to make out and droning like the buzz of an angry nest of wasps. For some reason it comforted me, even in that moment. It was something else, some other noise. As if Lovat had gone silent and was suddenly waking back up.
My head was wrenched backward by someone, and I felt a knee jam into my spine. I arched back in pain, feeling my ribs protest, making me want to double over. There was no way to escape. The hold secured me in place and my neck became a tight arc.
Staring down the length of my face, I could still see Zilla. She didn't say a thing, she just watched me like some alpha predator waiting for the right moment to strike. She casually held the razor at her side. Her hateful red gaze focused on my face, her
