Chapter 22
Annalise
I let out a breath of relief, a genuine smile tugging at my lips. For a moment—a fleeting, dangerous moment—I thought maybe they weren’t so bad. Sure, they tormented me, but they also listened to me in their twisted way. The past six days, though suffocating, had also been filled with luxury and new skills. Maybe… just maybe, there was some goodness buried beneath their madness.
Then Dane spoke again, shattering my fragile hope.
“As long as you sign a blood contract, giving your claim on your life to us.”
The world seemed to tilt.
“What?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.
“You heard him,” Sylus said, stepping forward with a predatory grin. “Sign your life to us, and we’ll take you to the forbidden room. This contract will bind yo
