Asher's POV

The cold bite of the stone beneath me matched the chill in my bones as I woke up. My head throbbed as I blinked into the dim, suffocating darkness. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but I could tell immediately that I wasn’t where I had been before. The room was darker, quieter, and the smell of mildew was stronger. Slowly, I recognized the place—the dungeon behind the palace.

This wasn’t the cell beside the training grounds where I’d been held before. This one was ...