I'm sitting against the cold stone wall of the dungeon, my legs curled under me and my magic fizzing like a caged animal. Jay's across from me, his shoulder pressed against the bars, staring at the ceiling like it's got all the answers.
The cell door groans open, and I tense. Kael's probably back to gloat, or Tobias to throw more threats. But it's not them.
Lyra.
She steps into the torchlight, her silhouette sharp as a blade. She's flanked by two warriors, but their presence feels like an afterthought.
"Alone at last," she murmurs and dismisses the guards with a nod, and the door clangs shut behind them.
Jay stirs. "What do you want, Lyra?"
She ignores him, her gaze locked on me. "Kael's too busy playing warlord to notice the cracks in his own plan. But I do."
