Sunlight crept through a narrow slit in the window, slicing across the stone floor like a blade of gold, warm and merciless. It crawled up the edge of the cot before finally finding my face, and the instant it touched my skin, too bright, too hot, I flinched and turned away with a low groan.
My head throbbed. My entire body burned with a slick layer of sweat, and every breath that passed through my lips felt labored and raw, rasping against the inside of my throat. I tried to lift a hand to shield my eyes from the offending light. I tried to sit up. Tried to do anything.
But my wrists wouldn't move.
There was a clank, metal against metal.
I tugged harder this time, but pain shot up my arm like fire lashing through my veins.
Chains.
