Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Among the Shadows

My mind was foggy as I regained consciousness. The first thing that hit me was a sharp, acrid smell of dust and dampness. Then came the coldness of the floor pressing against my cheek. I blinked, but it took several seconds for the blurry contours of the room around me to come into focus.

Gray, bare walls and a dim light emanating from a flickering bulb on the ceiling. My wrists were tied behind my back, and my ankles bound together. I tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through my wrists, drawing a small cry from my lips.

"Finally awake."

That voice… I recognized it. Struggling to sit up, I turned to see Luca sitting on an old metal chair near the door. His face, usually warm and friendly, was now weighed down with a crushing sadness.

"Luca?" My voice was hoarse, as though I'd been screaming for hours. "Why… why are you doing this?"

He avoided my gaze, staring instead at an invisible point on the opposite wall.

"I'm sorry, Madame Valenti."