The billowing layers of my dress are smothering me. But no matter how hard I keep trying to shove away the panic, to hide it somewhere – anywhere, it won’t work.
I’m suffocating.
I want to sob, but the gasps get stuck in my throat.
Will they even come back for me? Leon might be able to track my ring, but if the meeting goes long, he might not even notice I’m gone until morning.
Ican’tstay in here that long.
Violent tremors try to wrack through me, but the space is too cramped to allow for movement. Onceagain, I try and fail to take another breath, instead choking on the invisible vice around my neck. All I manage is a small, stuttered inhale.
It’s enough to realize I’m no longer alone.
Someone is quietly singing a haunting melody, directly outside the door. Recognition momentarily distracts me from my terror. They’re singingThe Sound of Silence– a song from my realm.
The soft notes surround the darkness, and I manage another small breath. It’s still not enough. Closing my eyes, I focus on the music, trying to forget where I am. There’s a soul-deep pain in their voice that calls to my own, but it’s underlain by the smallest echo of hope. As if despite a lifetime of suffering, this person hasn’t given up.
The sense of connection might just be oxygen deprivation, but I’ll take it.
Only, I’m no longer hyperventilating. The realization is enough that I manage to choke out, “Please, whoever is out there. Please let me out.”
The singing stops. “I can’t. Not yet. I’m sorry.”
It’s Nymara. She must have doubled back. Tears roll down my cheeks, and the crushing weight of defeat presses down on me. She won’t help. All she does is watch. She knows what’s happening, and from the regret in her voice, she knows it’s wrong. And still, she lets it happen. She’s complacent – and that makes her as evil as the others.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I ask, barely above a whisper.
There’s a soft, bitter laugh, followed by the sound of fabric shifting against wood. She must be leaning back against the door.
“You’ve had to deal with Lilanthara for less than an hour. I’ve had to put up with her for nearly my entire life. This punishment is child’s play, compared to what I’ll suffer if I go against her.”
A slight pang of guilt hits me at how quickly I judged her. I can’t even imagine what her experiences have entailed. “Why don’t you run?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Why don’t you?” She sounds like she already knows the answer.
My brow lifts. Need must be blackmailing both of us. I wonder what she could be holding over Nymara.
The unanswered question hangs between us, and as the silence stretches on, I start to feel the walls again. The cramped space sends a fresh wave of fear through me, and I gasp.
“Tell me about your home in the Mortal Realm,” Nymara asks quickly.
I frown, wondering why she’s interested, and give her a stilted answer between my quick inhales. “I… was in college.”
“Oh awesome, what were you taking?” She prods.
Confused, I answer her, only for Nymara to continue peppering me with seemingly inane questions. So, I tell her about my school, the classes, the ocean, and working as a barista.
“Have you ever tried an oat-shaken espresso? They’re my favorite,” she asks, and the question jars me.
“How do you know so much about the Mortal Realm?” My legs are numb, and I try to shift, willing blood back into them.
I’m unsuccessful.
There’s a moment of silence before she hedges, “I spent some time there, on a mission for Need.”
I wait to see if she’s going to elaborate, but instead, she starts asking me about books. It doesn’t take much prompting before she has me giving her a play-by-play of my favorite series. I’m mid-sentence when the door swings open, and I topple out of the tiny prison.
“The sun should be set now,” Nymara says by way of explanation, as she backs up a step.
