Valentina's mind raced as she sat in the dark, damp cell. She had to find a way out, a way to warn her family before the hunters could use her as bait to capture them. But the iron shackles seared her skin, sapping her faerie magic and strength. She was trapped, helpless.
Footsteps echoed down the hall outside her cell. Valentina tensed, bracing herself. A silhouette appeared at the barred door - the leader of the hunters. He peered in at her, eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
"Don't worry, pretty one," he sneered. "You'll see your family again soon enough. When they come to rescue you, we'll be waiting. And then I'll have you all."
Valentina glared back defiantly, even as fear twisted inside her. "They won't fall for your trap. They're too smart for that."
The hunter just chuckled. "We will see about that." He turned and strode away, leaving Valentina alone once more.
