#Chapter 285: The Smoke

Lilith’s POV Lilith fumbled with the silver handcuffs in the darkness, her fingers shaking so badly she dropped the key twice and kept having to start over. Finally, the metal fell away from her wrists with a quiet clink. She rubbed at the raw skin, wincing, and stood just as the cell door creaked open. A woman stepped into view, dressed in a guard’s uniform. She was young, maybe thirty, with brunette hair and blue eyes. She reminded Lilith of Ella. A little too much for her liking—Lilith didn’t want to consider the idea of her daughter being in a place like this. Lilith took a step back on instinct, but the woman offered her a faint smile that set her nerves at ease. “Are you ready?” the woman whispered, to which Lilith nodded. “Okay. We need to move. Now.” Lilith didn’t argue. She slipped out of the cell and followed the woman down the hallway. The woman moved quickly but quietly, and Lilith tried to match her steps, sticking to the woman’s shadow. They