Chapter 113

Elaria pressed herself against the stone slab. In the silence, every sound grew sharper. She thought she could hear the cruel crackle of flames gnawing at everything above her - and maybe, just maybe, the faint echo of her grandmother's voice... the same soft voice that used to sing her to sleep when she was little. "Sun is up, the moon is bright, Grandma's little Elaria's closing her eyes." "Sun is up, the moon is bright..." She pushed against the heavy slab like crazy, desperate to get out. But her grandma had locked her in, using her own body to keep the entrance sealed from the fire. The cellar was tiny, but it was safe - a last hope carved out for Elaria. Her palms slammed against the stone until they bled. Drop by drop, the blood fell. She didn't even know when the tears started flowing. Alone in the dark, it was like she was back in those summer evenings as a child, cicadas humming outside, humming softly- "Sun's up, moon so bright, my little Elaria's safe tonight." "Don't come,