ARIA’S POV

I screamed until my throat burned, but no one cared. The prisoners around me only cursed and told me to shut up. Tears poured down my face as I curled into myself on the cold chair. I wanted all of this to be a nightmare—just a bad dream I would wake up from. At some point, my body gave up and I drifted off out of pure exhaustion.

When my eyes flew open, a smile rose on my lips. For a second, I thought I was back in my dream—Kael throwing a party, drummers welcoming me, ...