Stephen's arm tightened around my neck.
I immediately started cursing him.
Every insult I knew.
Every insult I didn't know.
I invented a few on the spot.
"You lunatic!"
Stephen laughed beside my ear.
Dark.
Shaky.
Unstable.
"You walked closer to the bars."
His grip tightened.
Pain shot through my neck.
I winced.
"What did you think I was, Seraphina?"
His voice dropped lower.
"An angel?"
I shoved against his arm.
Nothing.
The chains limited his movement, but not enough.
Not nearly enough.
The guards slowly advanced.
"Back off!" I snapped.
They hesitated.
"Back off!"
Reluctantly, they stepped away.
One of them slipped out of the corridor.
Running.
Good.
Very good.
Stephen noticed.
He scoffed.
"Dumb girl."
His breath brushed my ear.
"You'll be dead before help arrives."
Then he looked toward the guards.
"Keys."
Nobody moved.
"Give me the damn keys."
Silence.
I tried shifting sideways.
If I could move far enough—
The chains would stop him.
