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I shook my head. “How? How did they—”

“They don’t know who I am.” His eyes burned beneath the hood, steady and sharp. “They think I’m one of them. For now, that’s enough.”

For now.

The words settled heavy in my chest. I wanted to trust him. I… needed to. But, how could I?

I swallowed heavily. “Why are you here?”

“To help you.”

It felt like a lie, but what if it wasn’t?

He shifted closer, dropping his voice. “I’ll get you out of here, but I need time. They’re watching you too closely. I have to be careful.”

“Time?” My voice wavered. “I don’t have time.”

His eyes softened, just for a second. “You do. The awakening can only happen when the moon and the stars align just right. We have weeks before then.”

I wanted to believe him. But the chains around my wrists said otherwise.

I leaned in, desperate. “Where’s Lucas? Does he know I’m here?”

Kael hesitated.

My stomach sank. “Kael.”

“He doesn’t know yet,” he said quickly. “But he will. I’ll get word to him. He’s guarding the town. Keeping it safe.”

My heart twisted. Of course he was. Always the protector.

Kael reached through the bars, his hand brushing mine. “He’ll come for you, Annika. I’ll make sure of it. You just—”

The sound of footsteps interrupted him. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my heart lurched in my chest.

He looked behind him, then vanished before I could say anything. I didn’t even have the time to process it. The only proof of his existence was the food he had brought. If it weren’t for that, I would have suspected it was all just a dream.

I was so hungry. I hadn’t realized how much until I saw it, the bread soft and warm, the water cool, sitting there in front of me like a cruel reminder of everything I’d lost.

I hesitated, glancing back toward the shadows, waiting for the footsteps to draw closer. My body, weak and trembling, seemed to fight against my mind.

My stomach growled, louder than the footsteps. I winced, clutching my side.

God, I was so hungry.

I reached for the bread, fingers trembling. The moment it touched my lips, I didn’t care anymore. I tore into it like it was my only salvation, inhaling it as if I hadn’t eaten in days, maybeweeks. My body devoured it in seconds, the taste foreign but grounding.

The water followed, cool and soothing as it slid down my parched throat. I drank like I was dying of thirst, gasping for each breath between gulps.

It wasn’t poisoned.

But it wasn’t a kindness either.

I knew that. Kael had given me the food for a reason. He’d meant for me to be able to think clearly, to survive long enough to get out of here.

He’d said he would help me.

I had to believe him.