James slept for what seemed like hours, or days. Locked in that secret room, it was hard to tell whether it was day or night. At times, I would just eat, sitting in a corner on the floor, praying that Lina would return soon and bring me news about John, but she never showed up.

After a while, I ended up sleeping too. When I woke up, I was in bed; he must have placed me there. James was flipping through some books, sitting in a chair. He looked completely recovered and was wearing ...