Mela watched Lola struggle on the ground, the poison making her body feel like it was on fire and her mind feel cloudy. The silver needles hovered in the air around her, a quiet threat that promised more pain if she did not cooperate.
"I will ask one last time, who is the human?"
Lola coughed, a spray of dirt and spittle hitting the ground next to her cheek, the effort sending another wave of agony through her. "I don't know, he's just some freak, I swear."
'She is telling the truth, or she is a very good liar.' Mela did not like either of those options, so she changed the subject. "The princess, why is she important?"
Lola's body tensed up, her eyes going wide with a fear that was different from the pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a choked, gurgling sound came out, her throat closing up as if an invisible hand was squeezing it.
She tried again, her face turning red with the effort, but the words would not form.
