73

It was cold, damp, and dark. The ground beneath me felt like wet stone, rough against my skin. The air smelled like stagnant water. All at once, I was flooded with memories of the last time Troy had kidnapped me. Tavi had been with me then—

“Are you awake?” Was that Tavi’s voice? I rolled onto my side and saw her sitting against the wall. She was also tied up and beaten, just as she’d been back then, but she wasn’t unconscious. In fact, considering our situation, she looked pretty calm.

“Tavi, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The cut on her head and her split lip and the blood splattered over her clothing and skin said otherwise, but her eyes blazed in triumph. “I’m better than okay. I killed them both.”

“Who?” I asked as I struggled into a sitting position, pressing my back against the craggy rock wall. My head still hurt, but it was already starting to pound less.

“Harlon and Samson. They’re dead.” She grinned at me. “I don’t have to live my life worrying about them anymore. I ended them