Silver dust fell around me and stuck to my skin. Zoe released my waist and placed a bronze knife in my hand. “Remember, chant the words, cut the chains, and then pour your blood onto the knife before it explodes.” “Got it,” I said. My eyes scanned the jail cell. It was unlike Adae’s usual prison room. Red satin pillows hid the stone floor. Scented candles sat near a massive bed and filled the air with a sweet aroma. Sheer crimson curtains draped the walls except for the left wall that was made of large bars. There was a creature on the other side of the bars that wore no chains. It just lay on the floor. Gray rotted skin covered the figure. Its finger twitched for a minute. Its face shot up and glared at me with ice blue eyes that pierced through me. Its cracked lips moved. I tried to figure out what it was saying, but Zoe clutched my arm and said, “Focus.” I spotted Blaze. He was completely naked and chained to the bed. His eyes were closed. His chest weakly rose up and down, as if just breathing caused him a lot of injury.
