Rhaegar felt as though his head were as heavy as the lead bowl he'd once stumbled across while roaming the border with Cara. He tried to move, but even the slightest twitch of his muscles sent sharp waves of pain searing through his body.
A low groan escaped him as he turned his head to the side, only for a fresh surge of throbbing agony to grip him, binding him in its spiky, relentless chains.
"Oh, alive, are you? Don't move! They didn't leave a single spot on you untouched—you're black and blue all over!"
The sound of a high-pitched, chipper voice made Rhaegar wince in confusion. Forcing his eyes open as much as he could, he found himself staring at another boy leaning over him. The stranger's dark, dirt-smudged face was split into a wide grin, exposing a row of surprisingly straight and white teeth with small sharp fangs.
