ARIA POV
Pain exploded through my head as shadow claws dug into my mind. I screamed and tried to pull away, but the chains holding me were too strong.
"Stop fighting, little Earth Guardian," the Shadow Lord hissed in my ear. "Give us what we want, and the pain will end."
"Never," I gasped, even though every word felt like eating glass.
The thing laughed and pressed harder. I felt my thoughts being pulled apart like pages torn from a book. My memories of the ritual, of Oberyn's old magic, of everything that could help us win—they were all trying to slip away.
But I held on. I had to.
"Tell us about the Ancient Fae Magic," another Shadow Lord ordered. "How does it work?"
Instead of replying, I thought about my first day at school. I was six years old, wearing a pink dress that my mom had made for me. I focused on every detail—the way the fabric felt, the sound of my new shoes on the hallway floor, the worried flutter in my stomach.
