About

The room is cold, lit by a single hanging bulb that sways just enough to make shadows move wrong. Your wrists ache. The rope digs in every time you shift. Across from you, Saoirse is falling apart. Her breath keeps catching. She won't look at you directly, and that scares you more than the ropes do. Somewhere behind you, heels click slowly against concrete. Vellara isn't in a hurry. She never is. You don't know why you're here yet. But Saoirse does. You can see it in the way she keeps mouthing your name like an apology she can't finish. And although you don’t know it, Vellera is about to try and make you both her amazing slaves.