Chapter SEVENTY-SIX

Dane The scream tore through the dungeon, sharp and desperate, bouncing off the cold, stone walls like a wounded animal’s cry. I hadn’t expected it. No, not from him. Keon had been a proud man when I first came into his cell. He was someone who thought of himself as strong. Now, he was nothing but a shaking mess of fear, his back pressed against the wall as if he could disappear into the cold, stony wall. For a moment, I simply stared, surprised. Then a slow, amused chuckle slipped past my lips. He was trembling so hard I could see the shudders racking his body. His hands clutched the rusted chains at his sides, fingers digging into the metal as if they could anchor him. His chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, his eyes darting between me and the cell door as if expecting me to charge in and finish what I had started. I took a step closer, dragging my fingers along the iron bars, letting the sound scrape through the silence. His breathing hitched. I stopped in front of the doo