"Elise?" I choked out, my voice trembling. "What's happening? Why did you—"
"Looks like she was right," Elise said, ignoring my questions. She raised her hand, revealing another ring next to the first. It was an ornate band of gold topped by a diamond—nearly identical to the bracelet I now wore. The control half of a Soul Binder, the same kind the inquisitor had tricked me into wearing.
"No! Please, no!" I recoiled, my voice thick with horror. "W-why? And where is she? What did you do with Elise?"
She shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing, of course. If anything, she's enjoying her life more than ever right now, though she seemed a little irritated when I interrupted her and Alverin's nightly fun."
"You're lying," I whispered, blinking back the tears.
"Maybe, maybe not," she said with a wink. "That's the best part about secrets, isn't it?"
