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"What about Butterfly’s Dust?" I asked

"Doesn’t exist I ood I needed so aithout using guards or locked doors"

An unwelcoht popped into kan would also know

"No He believes you’ve been poisoned"

During the night, it was hard for me to remember that I had not been poisoned Torturous cra and screakan gloating over me I didn’t care that they watched I didn’t care that they laughed All I cared about was finding a position that would alleviate the pain

Finally, I fell into an exhausted sleep

I woke lying on the h the bars I marveled more over the fact that I clutched Valek’s hand than the fact that I was alive

"Yelena, are you all right?" The concern in Valek’s voice was evident

"I think so," I replied with a rasp My throat burned with thirst

A clank rang out as someone unlocked the prison door

"Play dead," Valek whispered, releasing et theuards caeon I yanked my Valek-warmed hand into the cell, and poked my ice-cold left hand out just as the men descended the stairs

"Damn! The stench down here’s worse than the latrine after a brew party," said the guard holding the lantern

"You think she’s dead?" the second guard asked

With my face to the wall, I closed ht swept uard touchedher out before she starts to rot You think it smells bad now…" The snap of the lock was followed by a squeak ofa dead weight while the guard dragged ht uard with the lantern walked ahead to light the way, leaving my upper body in darkness As we passed Valek’s cell, I seized the bars with both hands

"Ugh Hold up, she’s stuck"

"On what?" the lantern guard asked

"I don’t know Corip, hooking uard warned Valek