Miri's Pov
"What?" The word slipped out of my mouth before I even thought about it. My voice sounded too loud in the cave like darkness. The figure still hadn't revealed themselves, still shrouded in shadows, but their words echoed in my head like a riddle I didn't know how to solve.
Leader?
Leader of what? I could barely keep myself together these days, how in the hell was I supposed to be the leader of anything?
I turned sharply, desperate to ground myself in something real. Riven was already beside Caius, who was trapped inside the cage that had sprung up out of nowhere, its black metal bars glistening faintly with the shimmer of enchantment. Riven was tugging at them, muscles flexing as if brute strength alone would break through. But the bars didn't bend, didn't even creak. Caius's face was pressed close to the gaps, his jaw clenched in anger and frustration, blue eyes glinting faintly in the dim light.
