At the Captor's Whim

Valerie’s POV

As I walked down a narrow hallway, the guards led me down a path where the air got warmer with each step, as if the stone walls were holding their breath. The ground under my feet was smoother than the rocky floor of my cell, and the flames here burned brighter, throwing a deep gold glow on the long stretch of stone. I could hear water falling somewhere far away, but the sound of our