Thorne jumped up. “Are you ok? What the hell happened?”
I couldn’t answer. My hands were shaking so violently I couldn’t wipe my mouth. My throat burned, my body trembled, and for a moment all I could hear was that voice again—You’ve been a bad girl, Elira…
I curled inward, gasping for breath.
Thorne knelt beside me, his hand hovering like he wanted to touch me but didn’t know how.
“Elira—hey. It’s okay. You’re safe.” His voice was low, rough, shaken. “You’re here with me. It’s just us.”
I still couldn’t look at him.
His hand settled on my back, firm and steady. Not controlling. Not demanding. Just there.
I choked out, “He hurt him… I couldn’t stop it. I tried—I tried—”
“Who?” Thorne asked, but gently now, like any louder question might shatter me again. “Who hurt who?”
I shook my head, burying my face in my arms. “I don’t know. I can’t remember his name. His face was wrong—hiseyes—they glowed. Like blood.”
Thorne was silent, but I could feel the tension roll off him like heat.
“The man outside the cage?” he asked carefully.
I nodded. “He made me watch. I begged him not to, but he said it was my fault. Saidhehad to be punished because I was bad.”
Thorne swore under his breath. I felt the mattress shift as he stood, pacing. I could hear the sharp sound of his boots on the stone.
“That wasn’t just a memory,” he muttered. “Something... something pushed back. It didn’t want us there. Itknewwe were watching.”
I finally dragged myself upright, wiping the vomit from my lips with the back of my hand. “Then maybe it’s best we don’t try again.”
Thorne turned sharply. “No. Elira, whatever that was—it’s important. It’syours. And someone buried it deep for a reason.”
I stared at him. “Iknowwhy. Because remembering hurts.”
He didn’t argue. Not this time.
The silence between us stretched until I couldn’t stand it. I got to my feet, even though my legs felt like water. I needed tomove. To get the memory out of my head. Out of my body.
“I need air.”
“Elira, wait—”
But I was already walking.
Down the hall, past the guards who barely blinked, out into the open corridors that led to the training grounds. I needed to feel something solid under my feet. I needed to hit something. To burn off the tremor in my bones.
I didn’t notice the shadow slipping in behind me.
Didn’t notice Kyra until it was too late.
“Hello princess,” She sneered before something hard whacked the back of my head.
I blacked out.
Chapter 24
Elira
