As the door creaked open, I jumped startled, my eyes widening in both fear and confusion. Silas limped in, the dim light casting grotesque shadows on his battered face, his grin resembling that of a crazy predator. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Chained and vulnerable, I looked up, my breath catching.

He was bleeding from his nose, and his cheeks and the side of his face were swollen. I didn’t want to think how he managed to get himself beaten up.

I was battling within when a yelp left my lips.

Silas stormed toward me, a manic gleam in his hazel eyes. In one swift, brutal motion, he seized my arm,...