Benedict's POV
The guards arrived precisely when I anticipated they would.
Metal hinges groaned as the cell door swung wide, revealing two sentinels who had abandoned any pretense of courtesy. One seized my arm with rough fingers, yanking me upright. His companion did the same to Jaxson.
Our shackles remained firmly in place.
They marched us from the cramped cell into the stone corridor beyond. The walls seemed to radiate an even deeper chill than before. Moisture hung thick in the stagnant air, clinging to every surface.
Behind us, Jaxson's mother rattled the iron bars as her son vanished from view.
I glanced back to catch sight of Rhiannon pressed against the far wall, her fingers wrapped around the cold metal. Her face bore the ravaged look of endless weeping, red and puffy.
"Jaxson," she shrieked, her voice splintering with desperation. "Please. You have to listen to me."
