THE QUEEN RISES

ng I noticed

couldn't open my eyelids; they felt stuck together. My arms were stretched above my head, held tight by unse

ded myself on my ability to survive anything. To be prepared. Bu

y throat so raw it felt

asured. They stopped, and a shadow fell across my sight. I tried t

aid. Calm. Controlled. It wasn

clasped behind his or her back. The air was thick with the smell of oil and something acrid,

le," the voice continued. "

laugh. "And if I do? T

rt. Escape was always an option. There had to be a way. I tried flexing my w

orary. Freed

hard and cold-concrete. Good. I kicked again, harder this t

, calm, clinical, but fi

ill dangerous. Everyone was dangerous. I was dangerou

ight reflected off something in his or h

ce said again. "We're not your enemy...

e to save little Freya from the terrible, terrifying Torren?" My teeth gritted, my body s

s, sharp features and intelligent, calculating eyes. His jacket was a size too large, the sleeves pus

w, but the precise tone made it wo

mean... 'not taking me to him'?" I

loser. He leaned towards me slightly, an act of d

und seemed to tilt. "Selling me?" My voice cra

able. And someone is willing to pay a great deal of money to have y

hing, and my pulse thrummed. "You're going to regret this," I hissed, baring my teeth. "If you thin

eresting puzzle. "You're... Feisty," he said, a faint hint of

settled into my mind like a cold, hard stone. My training, my instincts, my escape plan-they had to b

ing. One wrong move, and

d take him. Probably. If I used the element of surprise

teps light. "You've been runnin

tartled me, and I faltered. "I.

Oh, I think you do. The constant vigilance, the fear behi

een hunting me. Someone else had been following me, and

em, no malice, just pure, cold calculation. "Relax," he said again. "You'

ed down?" I thrashed against the restraints, the metal biting deeper, my

"Careful. You'll o

my throat, my temples. I was alive.

door. Someone else. Another shadow moved, and

t sharpened my focus. Two against one? Three against on

ver," he said, almost grudgingly. "B

t clever guarantees. I'm no

d whether you like it or not... Someone will pay ha

wed at my insides. "Futilit

nderstood your situation... You'd be quiet. You'd be ca

d to figure out who these people were, why th

Not much play, but there was always leverage. Ther

his eyes patient.

nally, stepping back into