"It isn't the aura that's the problem, Midnight," Barbosa sneered, stepping closer until he was looking down at the bound dragon girl. He reached out, his gloved hand gripping her chin and forcing her to look up. "It's your spine. Or lack of one. You were supposed to be the Ruby Eyed's finest thief, and here you are, tied up like a common farm animal by a man who spends his days smelling of garlic and cheap spices."
"I... I wasn't…" Midnight's voice broke. She looked around the hall, seeing the mocking smirks of her former guildmates. The people she had bled for, scouted for, and shared rations with were now looking at her like she was a stain on the marble floor.
"You're a liability now," Barbosa whispered, his voice cold enough to frost the air. "The Ruby Eyed Guild doesn't keep failures, and we certainly don't keep prisoners."
