The air in the underground chamber was unfriendly and filled with the smell of blood and betrayal. Torches flashed along the wet stone walls, displaying scary shadows as Cassian relaxed against the cell door, a small smile coming out from his lips. Aveline stood her ground, her breath steady despite the raw tension filling the room. Gabriel chained and marked, sat silently against the cold stone floor, but his golden eyes still filled with defiance.
"You never learn, do you?" Cassian smiled, tapping his fingers against the iron bars. "I am giving you one last chance, Aveline. Join me, and you will have everything you have ever wanted. Power. Security. A future where you and your child will live comfortably under my rule."
Aveline laughed loudly. "You really think I would betray everything I stand for just because you are throwing empty promises in front of me? You stole my child. You tried to kill the father of my child. And you expect me to bow to you? Never!"
