ELLIE’S POV
“I can walk on my own.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
The guard blinked, clearly startled. I didn’t blame him, my voice had rarely been used, even less so with such firmness. It didn’t come out steady, but it didn’t come out broken either. That was new.
He stepped back a little, nodding once. “Of course, Miss. You’re free to… uh, go anywhere within the compound.”
Free!
The word rang strange in my ears. Like something stolen from someone else’s mouth and handed to me by mistake.
I stepped out into the hall.
Stone underfoot. Warm torchlight dancing along the walls. The scent of woodsmoke and herbs lingering in the air. Everything here felt different. No biting glares. No whispered curses. No one waiting to trip me.
Two more guards stood at the entrance
