Elara's POV
Pain tore through my abdomen like a thousand knives. I pressed my hand against my stomach, willing the agony to subside. The cell's harsh fluorescent lights made my head pound.
"Please," I whispered to the guard who had escorted me back to the holding cell. "I need medical attention."
The guard barely glanced at me. "Doctor already cleared you. Said you're fine."
Bianca. My old friend who now believed I was a murderer and a liar. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical pain.
I sank onto the thin mattress, trying to control my breathing. The cyclical anemia was getting worse—I could feel it. My body was breaking down from the inside, cell by cell. Without my medication, I wouldn't last much longer.
The cell door slammed shut. I was alone.
I curled onto my side, my arms wrapped around my middle. This wasn't supposed to happen. Arthur would be looking for me by now. He'd know something was wrong when I didn't return home. But would he find me in time?
