Chapter 76

Seris’s POV

A quiet, relieved sigh escaped my lips the moment the frayed lengths of rope finally slipped from my tortured wrists, their coarse fibers falling away like shreds of old canvas. The small knife clattered to the dusty floor at my feet. I brought my hands forward, cradling each wrist with the other as if to soothe the raw, burning flesh. The rope burns felt searing, every passing second amplified the sting, and my skin had already darkened with angry red and purple bruises. I flexed my fingers experimentally, each movement sending a sharp reminder of the captivity I’d just endured.

“What’s the next step?” Eirwen asked, her voice tight with impatience. She stood a few feet away, arms folded, foot tapping against the cold stone. “You’re free now. We should leave this place before someone returns.”

I glanced back at her and allowed myself a small, exasperated roll of the eyes. “We already talked about this, Eirwen,” I said, my tone low and firm. “We w