Adina's POV

My fear was a cold, constant companion as I walked toward the cell. The boy was a small, haggard presence in the dim light, his body a trembling, terrified mess. A sense of profound, soul-deep empathy, a feeling I had not felt since the beginning of my journey, washed over me. I had to know. I had to know what a boy, a child, was doing in a place like this.

"Hey," I whispered, my voice a soft, gentle murmur. "Are you okay?"

He looked up, his face, a canvas of cuts and ...