Chapter 15 - Freedom or Death

"Freedom or death—

the savage truth that kept my heart beating in the dark."

-Nest Of Serpests

by E.S.Mare

----------------------------------------

When Adara placed the second plate before me, I didn’t eat right away. Of course not.

She smiled when I motioned for her to taste it first. I had only done it to see if they knew anything about us, but the girl had taken a spoon without saying a single word and walked away.

Snakes were gifted with taste—not because we had forked tongues, but because our tongues were unusually sensitive. I could tell with a single bite if it was poisoned. It wasn’t. If Lian wanted me dead, he would’ve killed me minutes ago.

Did he want me dead? Certainly. He didn’t hide his hatred.

But he wouldn't do it. Not yet.

Once the girl left, I devoured the food so quickly that Arlo stared, mouth agape. Lian’s eyes never left me, his disgust just as blatant. That filthy brute, Raiden—whose favorite pastime was beating Vilas—stopped whatever game he’d been enjoying and stormed out when he saw me eating. Adara was smirking, making little comments about how I must be a peasant.

But I realized she wasn’t trying to insult me. She was the only one whose words weren’t laced with contempt.

The Eagle barely spoke—and when he did, it was never to me.

As Adara reached to take the plate, she asked,

“Would you like another?”

I curled my lip.

“I doubt I could stomach that again. It was terrible.”

Her brows furrowed, but she didn’t answer.

Lian did.

“Then savor the memory. It won’t return.”

The fog in my vision began to lift. I could see him clearly now.

His eyes were unsettling—unless you’d faced horrors worse than me, you’d probably be afraid.

Me?

Well, I was a little scared.

I’d had military training, but never seen battle.

And aside from what I’d witnessed in the dungeons, this was the first Lion I’d ever seen.

The ones in chains had nothing left. They didn’t scare me. Neither did the other races, honestly. Take Raiden, for example—the largest man I’d ever seen. A Tiger. Hot-tempered. Brutal. But when I looked at him, I didn’t feel fear. Just an urge to provoke him. His fury had a rhythm to it. Predictable. Almost... entertaining.

But those cursed yellow eyes…

They scared me.

When the girl bent to collect the plate, I grabbed her wrist. The jolt of pain in my arm burned through me. They’d only looked at my back—they hadn’t seen the rest.

Her hand darted to her knife, and I saw movement behind her.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I suppose it was... edible.”

None of it had been sincere—not the insult, not the praise. Both were just thorns meant to scratch at the Purring Beast’s pride. I didn’t care about Adara’s feelings. Or anyone else’s. The insult, the praise—they were nothing but tools. I needed her, that was all.

Something in her eyes flickered—gentleness, perhaps. It curdled something in me, but I spoke quickly—before the Eagle or Lion behind her could act.

“Would you be kind enough to take something to my friend? He’s probably starving in that lovely warehouse you locked him in.”

She didn’t move. Just nodded faintly, smiling again.

Her incessant smiling grated on my nerves.

The moment I released her, she took the plate and walked off. The Eagle watched her, clearly curious about what I’d said. The Lion’s gaze stayed on me. I thought he might approach, start questioning again, but he held back. Apparently, one unwanted touch from a Snake was enough for the day.

I wiped the spicy sauce from my lips with the back of my hand. Arlo recoiled, his face twisting in disgust.

“I want to see my friend,” I said, before Lian could speak.

“I want some cleaning, too,” Arlo said, speaking to me for the first time. “A little cleaning never hurt anyone.”

It was as if I were content with my own state...

I was still wearing that torn, mud-soaked tunic. I hadn’t bathed in days—aside from the two buckets of water that cursed Lion had dumped on me yesterday. Instead of cleaning, it just spread the filth and glued it onto me.

“I want to see my friend,” I said again, more firmly this time.

“I'll think about it after you answer my questions,” said Lian, folding his arms across his chest.

I doubted he would. But I had far greater problems than the questions he had in mind—and answering him would only arm him with more.

I smiled sweetly. “Mind if I use the privy?”

Whenever I asked to use the privy, the girl would come. That was my chance to speak with her. I could ask her to bring Vilas some snake grass. And water—to clean his wounds. That foul Tiger must have beaten him savagely.

I could’ve asked her when Adara brought me food, but I’d held back—wanted to see her reaction first. When I requested she feed him, she hadn’t said no. Maybe she'd be willing to carry medicine, too.

“Adara,” Lian called sharply. Adara stepped out from what I assumed was the hearth.

Lian nodded toward me. “Take her to the privy and get something to clean her up—she reeks.”

“Wow,” Adara said, feigning amazement. “Such compassion.”

Lian met her sarcasm with a warning glare, then turned his gaze back to me.

“If she tries anything, kill her.”

Where had they put my sword?

It was all I could think about… gouging out those curse yellow eyes.

In the name of Lesster, Sovereign of the Soil!

The sword—how could I have forgotten?

It wasn’t ordinary. Even a brief glance was enough to see that. The weapon radiated something sacred. It screamed of royal blood.

A chill settled deep in my bones. Was that why the Lion was keeping me alive? Was he trying to trace how it came into my hands? Or worse—was he trying to uncover who I really was?

Either answer was disastrous.

I needed to uncover what they knew before the truth found its way to them. If they realized the worth of the prize they'd captured, I'd be tossed into the Lions’ Palace dungeon with far more ceremony.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

If they so much as smelled the possibility of ransom—and everyone cared about gold—then they’d sell me to the White Snake Palace for a king’s price. And that was worse than any dungeon.

A prisoner in the Lions’ dungeon. A bride in the Snake Palace—offered like a lamb to end a war.

The chosen wife of Adrastis, Crown Prince of the Black Snakes.

Adara approached, unlocked the chains, wrapped them around both my wrists, and helped me to my feet. Pain flared through my joints. My head swam. The gnawing hunger had dulled, but my body still refused to obey me. My steps were unsteady. My vision blurred at times. I’d starved before. But this... this was something else.

Adara took my arm and guided me. As I’d suspected, the Lions didn’t piss in the bushes like Savages. Praise be to Lesster’s glory—and even to Eastair, the cold-blooded ruler of the Lion people—for having toilets. If I had told any of the Snakes about this, they’d have laughed themselves sick.

Adara didn’t leave my side, not in the toilet nor in the bathing room. After a quick inspection, she must have seen how useless I was—because she unbound my wrists. The cruelest part was when she unbound my wrists, but I was still too weak to lift a bucket. Adara had to help me.

I’d been bathed by servants before. That wasn’t what humiliated me now.

It was the helplessness.

I used three large buckets of water to cleanse myself. Cold as it was, it felt divine.

I didn’t even care that the wounds stung again.

Adara left only once, to bring clean clothes. While she was gone, I searched the room with my eyes, desperate for anything I might use—but there was nothing. Only the small windows near the ceiling caught my attention. Could I escape through those?

Doubtful.

Even if I could fit, I wasn’t sure I could climb.

My legs still trembled strangely.

And I couldn’t leave Vilas behind.

There was no one I could turn to. I was a fugitive—perhaps the most wanted one in recent times. If I remained here much longer, someone would uncover the truth about me. Then it would all become infinitely worse.

My only hope was the silence of the Snakes. We did not speak of ourselves freely.

Yes, every race had spies, but even our own people needed time to know what passed within palace walls. Unless spies infiltrated the palace directly, they’d learn nothing of value. And I was nearly certain none had made it inside. Their body heat made them immediately visible to a Snake's eyes.

Besides, I had become something of a spy myself. My movement had been restricted—my chamber, a small hall, a modest library… But I had wandered in secret, listening to every voice, every footstep.

On one such night, I had even caught two Scorpion spies—skilled agents.

Their stealth didn’t surprise me; their betrayal did.

One had been feeding information to the Crocodiles. The other—to the Lions.

Even Scorpions would sell their blood for the right price.

Such creatures existed in every race.

But that was two years ago. Since then, the palace had become impenetrable. After the Queen had thrown the captured spies to the snakes before the palace gates, infiltration demanded more than skill—it demanded madness.

I sank to the floor beside the weathered boat, seething at my unsteady legs.

In this state, I was no use to anyone.

Adara stepped inside, her arms full of clothes. She knew I wouldn’t attack her. I knew it, too.

She handed me a towel. I dried myself slowly. She didn’t even look at me— eyes avoided mine, focusing on the small window above us.

It would be a lie to say I hadn’t considered strangling her with that towel. But then she said, “I took something to eat for your friend.”

Perhaps that was what spared her life—and mine as well.

“Can you take something for his wounds?” I asked, swallowing my fury. “Because your friend dug his claws into him, and the other one punched him.”

She didn’t even flinch at the accusation. “You ask for too much, girl,” she said. “What do you think I am—Elastair, the Sovereign of the Forest?”

“A person with a conscience, maybe,” I growled.

She stepped closer and turned me by the shoulders. With a tug, she pulled down the towel, exposing my back. Only then did I see the brass box in her hand. I said nothing as she applied the salve, waiting for a reaction that never came. Though the wounds burned, her hands were unexpectedly gentle—for a lion.

“I’ll think about the medicine,” she said at last.

Such divine mercy.

Should I thank her—or stay silent?

I stayed silent. Just thinking about her pretending to mend what she had shattered made my skin crawl. She must have seen what had happened. She had to have heard the sound of those blows. But none of it seemed to matter to her.

When she finished applying the salve to my back, she dropped the clothes in my lap. At least I had washed my undergarments; wearing what she gave me might have made me sick. Even how loosely the dress hung on me annoyed me. When I cut a strip from the hem, she snapped, “What are you doing? That’s my favorite—”

The door slammed open.

A sword entered the room before its wielder and pointed straight at me. I stood still, wrapped in a towel, the torn dress in my hands, staring at the Eagle. His brows lifted slightly. Had he been waiting outside?

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“What are you doing?” Adara shouted.

“You were the one yelling,” said the Eagle. His eyes narrowed, his face twisted slightly as he gestured toward me. “Who’s this?”

“Arlo!” Lian’s voice rang from somewhere behind. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a girl here. Completely white!” Arlo shouted back. His gaze passed over me again—strangely, it didn’t feel hostile. “You’re all skin and bones. Eat something, will you? Adara, give her another plate of food.”

“What exactly are you doing in the washroom?” Lian’s voice came from just behind the Eagle now.

Arlo propped his sword on his shoulder and turned, shrugging the other one. “Adara screamed. I thought the girl was choking her.” As he turned to leave, Lian came into view. He wasn’t looking at me or the room—his eyes were fixed on Arlo.

“This girl couldn’t strangle a rooster with that frail frame,” Arlo said. Lian seemed to glance toward me, but his head never moved. He pulled the door shut behind him.

Frail? The Eagle had just climbed to the top of my list.

As I tore the rest of the dress in rage, Adara fixed a furious glare on me. Her precious dress—ruined. She turned away in visible disgust. I didn’t care. Not about her, and certainly not about her curse dress. I tied the shredded fabric around my waist and pulled off another strip for the burns on my wrist.

When she came back to chain me again, her eyes caught on the cloth.

“I didn’t realize you had more wounds,” she said.

The fabric I’d wrapped around my wrists hadn’t caught anyone’s attention—because to them, I was just another wretched prisoner. This Lion girl was no different. I knew she’d seen the burns on my wrists when she applied the ointment to my back. It was impossible not to — but she hadn’t cared.

They wouldn’t kill me, after all.

“It’s nothing,” I said sharply.

“Do you want me to treat them?”

“I said it’s nothing.” Why was she dragging this out?

“I could ask Lian not to bind you.”

I almost snapped back—but paused. I thought for a moment. I knew Lian would never agree. She might even demand to see my wrists. The burn was masking my wedding mark. Most Snakes would barely notice it, so could a Lion? It was unlikely—but not worth the risk.

Perhaps they didn’t even know our marriage customs—just as I didn’t know theirs. My mother must not have thought it important. I knew nothing about it. After all, we Snakes didn’t marry outside our kind. Not only marriage—even love was cursed. It brought death. I’d even heard a few tragic stories about it.

But my ignorance of their rituals didn’t guarantee they were unaware of ours. If the mark was noticed, there would be questions. From that cursed Lion in particular. And the kingdoms might have already spread word of the wedding and the peace agreement—no spy needed. It was a political display as much as anything. That meant my wedding mark being spotted would just land me in serious trouble once more.

Even if the White Snake Kingdom and the Black Snake Kingdom would never leak the news of the bride’s abduction—my mother might suspect I had fled, and maybe the king, barely—I couldn’t risk even a whisper of suspicion.

“I like the pain,” I said to the girl still staring at me.

She frowned. “Why?”

“If you’re not going to torture me, the reason is mine alone.”

She parted her lips, only to press them together again. She said nothing more to my taunt. As she wrapped the chains around my wrists again, I noticed she didn’t pull them as tight as before.

That was something.

When we stepped outside, I felt all eyes turn to me. It was even more unsettling than the soldiers in the dungeon watching me, because I knew I couldn’t treat anyone the way they did—but I was storing it all up. I would take my revenge all at once.

The Eagle leaned his head back in his sofa, cutting himself off from the world—including me. A small relief. One of his eyes turning away from me was still a victory.

Lian and Raiden had likely been speaking by the door before we arrived, but now both of them were staring at me. It was the first time I saw surprise on Raiden’s face—something other than anger and revulsion. But it didn’t last. The disgust quickly returned. He leaned into Lian, whispered something, and left.

Lian’s golden eyes lingered. He was watching me, as if he were seeing me for the first time. Perhaps he was. With the grime washed away, my face looked almost unfamiliar. No one but the nobles and the royal family would recognize me now. That gave me some comfort.

The only true danger at the moment… was the sword.

Lian turned his head toward Adara, slow as a storm forming. “Don’t you think something’s off, Ada?”

“Yes,” Adara replied, frowning at me. “He tore my dress.”

“No,” Lian said. “You were inside so long, your daughter changed color.”

“I’m a White Snake!” I hissed.

Adara arched a brow at Lian.

“She’s a White Snake. And I don’t care. I’m not anyone’s keeper—especially not a White Snake’s.”

As she passed, she gave me a strange look. I didn’t know what it meant, but I chose to believe she had agreed to help Vilas.

I kept my eyes low and made my way to the cloth by the hearth. My head spun violently. I reached for the wall.

My vision swayed. The air felt heavier. Something was wrong. Had they done something to me—or had I simply broken?

Was I just spiraling into baseless fear?

There was no poison in the food—I was sure of it.

But how many days had I spent down there? Or up here?

More time had passed than I thought—more than I dared admit.

And I was weaker than I’d thought. Much weaker.

I slid my hand off the wall and slowly sat on the floor. I kept my eyes on my hands, refusing to look up at their mockery. When the silence grew unbearable, I finally lifted my head. Lian—the Lion—had settled into the seat across from me, his gaze still locked on mine, as though they had never left. He was going to ask questions soon.

Trying to distract myself, I pulled my hair over one shoulder despite the chains on my wrists. At least they hadn’t fastened me to the wall again. I didn’t wait for the fire to dry my hair. I tried braiding it. Failed—like always. I wished Vilas were here—not to braid my hair, but simply to be near me. I needed him.

When I looked up, those golden eyes met mine again.

“Stop staring at me!” I snapped. “I can’t do anything anyway. It’s infuriating how you’re always watching me.”

“That’s his deal,” Arlo said, eyes closed, lightly sarcastic. “Just to irritate.”

Lian didn’t seem to hear. He looked at my wrists, then at the fabric I’d wrapped around myself. His eyes returned to mine. “Did Ada treat your back at all?”

I laughed bitterly. “Less than an hour ago, you held a knife to my throat, and you’re asking me if the wounds on my back were treated?”

“Yes,” he answered calmly, as if the question were perfectly reasonable.

The Eagle gave a soft chuckle.

I glanced at them both, then thought of Adara. Of Raiden.

“What is it that you do, exactly?” I asked, pretending the thought had just come to me—though in truth, I’d been wondering since I first saw them. I’d been too consumed with my own misery to care before. “You’re clearly soldiers of the Lions, but…” I glanced around and frowned. “What are you doing in a peasant’s house?”

“I’m no Lion soldier,” said Arlo. “If I took that as an insult, it wouldn’t end well for you.”

“Even if you aren’t one, you’ve clearly learned a few of their tricks,” I said dryly. “You can’t go a sentence without a threat, can you?”

“If you don’t want to be threatened,” Lian said, leaning in, his gaze like a blade, “then stop provoking us. Starting with the questions.”

“If you let us go, you wouldn’t have to worry about that,” I said, my voice rising.

“What would your people do if they found Lions crossing your borders?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Would they simply let them walk free?”

They’d be dragged before the king—if they were lucky. More likely, they'd be thrown into the dungeons and tortured before death.

“I don’t know,” I said, betraying none of that in my voice. “I’m not a soldier.”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m just a cursed ordinary girl!” I nearly shouted.

He raised a brow, skeptical. “And what was this cursed ordinary girl doing in a dungeon?”

“You know what?” I snapped. “I’m not saying another word until I see my friend.”

The Eagle stretched his legs across the wooden table and leaned his head back, eyes closed.

“She’s got a sweet voice, Lian. Maybe if she sings, we’ll tell her where her friend is.”

“I told you to keep your mouth shut,” Lian muttered, voice sharp as a honed blade.

The Eagle fell silent.

So that was why he’d been quiet—because Lian made him be.

When Lian stood, my attention shifted from the Eagle to him.

He crossed the room quickly, grabbed the chain, and yanked me up.

I stumbled and clutched his arm to steady myself.

His eyes lost every trace of warmth. “Stop playing games,” he said, low but firm.

Did he think I wanted to touch him? As if I had a choice. This weakness was his doing. He had imprisoned me. Starved me. Broken me. Did he really think he could do all that and then pretend I was at fault?

“Or am I not getting out of here alive?” I said with a bitter smile.

“Or I’ll slit your friend’s throat, and you’ll watch,” he replied.

All the false courage drained from my face.

I’ll tear your throat out with my teeth.

“I understand,” I said, voice submissive, though everything inside me burned. “Can I see him now?”

He hesitated a moment, then unlocked the chains—just long enough for surprise to reach my face—then seized my wrists and bound them behind me. The chains bit into my skin so tightly I clenched my teeth in pain. When he finished, he pushed me forward. “Walk.”

He didn’t need to threaten me again. He’d made his point clear.

As he followed behind, I began to descend the stairs. My steps were so unsteady I nearly fell on the third step. He caught me by the waist, steadied me—then yanked his hands away.

“Walk carefully,” he warned. “If you make me touch you again…”

“I know, I know,” I said, my voice dry with mockery. “Don’t worry, I won’t make you touch me… Just don’t slit my friend’s throat.”

He said nothing. Just waited.

The chains clanked as I took another step down. Something pressed against my hip.

I turned, lost my balance again, and Lian caught me. “What did I just say—” he started, but I cut him off.

“That thing poking my hip…”

He frowned.

I tilted my head and saw the lion-shaped hilt of his sword. Still poking me. “Oh thank The Sovereign of the Soil—it’s your sword.”

That familiar disgust twisted his features.

“My sword is the only thing allowed to touch you.”

“You’re holding my waist right now,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

He yanked his hands away like he’d touched fire. I straightened myself with difficulty, but I was glad, too. If only this nausea would go away...

I took a deep breath. “Keep your lion off me,” I muttered.

“Walk,” he replied.

Another breath, another step.

It was bright below—a torch burned on the wall. They hadn’t lit it for Vilas’s comfort. The furious Tiger had simply forgotten it in his rage.

Vilas was where they had kept me. His right eye was swollen shut. His face covered in dried blood and decay.

The list of people I wanted dead kept shifting.

Raiden had retaken the top from Lian.

Then again, the bruises on Vilas’s neck and the gashes on his shoulder might put Lian right back on top.

He raised his head at the sound of footsteps, teeth clenched from the pain. When he saw me, his left eye fluttered open. He stirred slightly—I could tell he was comforted by the sight of me still alive. The last time he’d looked at me, I was trembling—one foot in the grave.

“You deserve this,” I said. “For leaving me.”

He looked at the Lion and held his tongue. It meant he wouldn’t speak while that beast was in the room.

I took a few steps toward him, then froze. The torchlight was gone—or maybe it was just my eyes giving up again. When light returned, I was on the floor. Somehow still on my knees. I could’ve collapsed completely.

By the Soil’s wrath.

“I warned you to be careful,” the Lion said. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from glaring at him. Vilas did it for me—with his one working eye.

The Lion came closer, his gaze flicking from Vilas to me. “If it makes you feel any better—he didn’t abandon you. He left to gather snake grass for your wounds. We found it in the bag beside him and used it on your back.”

It took effort, but I turned to Vilas and managed a small smile. “I think I’ve fallen for you all over again,” I said lightly. “But sadly, we’re not allowed to kiss.”

I shifted just enough so he could see the chains, pretending not to notice them. “If we ever break free of these…”

The light vanished again. I fell silent and shut my eyes tight. My stomach twisted violently. “This... what is this…”

When Lian said, “Maybe you’ll never be free of those chains,” I turned toward him with blurred vision. I could still see the faint smile on his lips.

“What do you say, Snake?”

The question wasn’t meant for me. It was for Vilas.

Vilas rattled his chains, teeth bared. “What have you done to him?”

“Ada mixed the snake grass with a few other herbs,” he said, leaning in close to study my face. “Some of them must have been toxic. How’s your stomach?”

He hadn’t brought me here to see Vilas. I was bait. A tool to hurt him. They used the snake grass. That was the poison. It wasn’t in the food—it was hidden in mercy. I hadn’t considered it, assuming he’d want answers before letting me die. I was wrong. He had someone else to get those answers from.

“We can still flush it out before it’s too late,” he said, eyes fixed now on Vilas.

Vilas stirred but said nothing. He was holding himself back.

“What do you want?” he growled.

“You know what I want,” Lian said. “Information. Your friend Asra—lover, companion, I don’t care—keeps too many secrets. So do you. But you, at least, seem to understand the stakes.”

“Then ask,” Vilas snapped.

“Your name?”

“Teavis,” Vilas said flatly. It was the name of a noble boy he despised. If I’d told him he’d use it one day, he would’ve drowned me on the spot.

Lian raised a brow. “Your real name. Lie to me again…” He glanced at me, the smile on his lips small, but sharp enough to cut. He repeated my own words back at me. “She won’t leave this place alive. And believe me—you don’t want to witness her final breath.”

“Vilas,” he hissed.

“All right, Vilas.” Lian folded his arms. “Where were you going, and why?”

“We were lost,” Vilas growled. “We have no quarrel with you or your lands. We are not spies.”

“I know,” Lian replied. His gaze drifted back to me. “Asra told us. Now answer the rest.”

Even if he believed I’d spoken the truth, he wouldn’t show it. He’d pretend to doubt, just to extract more. This Lion would be difficult.

“If we pose no threat, why do you care where we go?” Vilas barked.

“If you’ve stepped foot on our soil, then it is our concern.”

“We were prisoners,” I said finally. I could twist the truth, because Vilas couldn’t. “Held in the White Snake Kingdom’s dungeons. You’ve seen my back, the old wounds. We escaped, and—”

“Why were you imprisoned?” he interrupted. “Or should I say, you were. I saw no scars on your friend.”

How much did he know of the Snake lands? His belief—or doubt—would depend on that. I couldn’t give him the full truth, but I could weave something close enough to satisfy him.

“The sword,” I said. “A royal blade. I stole it. Eventually I was caught. There was a celebration at the palace that night—some guards were drawn inside. Vilas used the distraction to get me out.”

“No lies,” he said coldly.

“Then go investigate,” I said, my voice low and sharp. “You’ll find the blade is gone. I took it. Vilas was a corpse collector. He retrieved bodies from the dungeon. That’s how he knew the place so well. When he had the chance, he helped me escape. But by the Soil’s wrath, we got caught—by you.”

Lian studied Vilas’s face, silent, giving nothing away. “Next question: Where were you going?”

“To the Scorpions,” Vilas said. “From there, we’d cross into the Neutral Lands. That’s what we thought—until the forest swallowed us. When we realized we were lost, we decided to halt and continue moving only by daylight.” He breathed through clenched teeth. “Anything else?”

“That will do,” said Lian. He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. He pointed toward the stairs. “Walk.”

“The poison,” Vilas shouted. “You’ll purge it from his body!”

Lian looked back, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me the truth, and maybe I will.”

“We already told you the truth!” Vilas roared.

“The poison will reach his blood in hours,” he replied coldly. “Not even an antidote will save him then. Think carefully.”

Vilas fell silent. Seeing he wouldn’t speak, Lian gave up on threats.

“Walk!” he snapped again.

I took a step. Gagged. Doubled over. My stomach clenched and twisted, and I nearly dropped to my knees again. The damned Lion didn’t let me. He seized me and forced me to keep walking.

“Wait!” Vilas shouted at last.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

Lian stopped. “I’m listening.”

I took a deep breath. Swallowed back the nausea. I had to speak before Vilas ruined everything.

Thank the Sovereign of the Soil, the words came to me.

“Freedom or death,” I said, “there’s no in between.”

I couldn’t meet his eyes. They were too blurred with pain—but his silence still weighed heavy on my chest. I held my breath to fight the urge to vomit. I waited.

Then, with firm resolve, he answered in my own words.

“Freedom or death.”

Relief surged through me like a flood breaking its chains.

Then I collapsed—and began to vomit.