MAYA

Everything was a blur. I couldn't walk, so I was dragged, my toes sliding uselessly across the cold marble floor while my head hung low from the shock of the slap. After a few moments, the dragging stopped.

The floor disappeared as I felt my feet leave the ground entirely. One of the guards heaved me up over his shoulder like a sack of grain. My stomach pressed against him, making it even harder to breathe. The sudden change in height made my head throb and the room spin. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against his back.

“Put me... put me down,” I muttered, but the words...