Ella
I knew something was wrong the moment I tried to summon my power—and nothing happened.
It was like trying to scream underwater. The energy that usually hummed under my skin like lightning was silent, still. I couldn’t feel the cold rush of ice that had always responded to my rage, or the shimmer of magic I’d barely begun to understand. It was all gone.
I sat on the hard floor of the dark cell, my limbs weak and trembling. My head lolled to the side, and I stared at the dim torchlight flickering through the iron bars. The cell was damp and cold, but I barely noticed anymore. My body felt numb. My throat was dry. I had no idea how long I’d been down here.
They fed me twice a day—or what they called food. Tasteless mush that smelled faintly metallic. At first, I’d refused to eat. But
