Evelyn
The ropes fell away with a soft snap.
The relief was immediate. I rubbed my wrists slowly. The deep grooves left by hours of tension and trying to break free still pulsed red and raw across my skin.
The rogue guard who cut me loose didn’t meet my eyes. He just looked to Jesse for further instruction, ever dutiful. When Jesse gave him a curt, dismissive shake of his head, the guard turned on his heel and left, leaving me standing in the center of Jesse’s tent, confused and on edge.
“You’re free to move about now,” Jesse said smoothly, lounging on his makeshift throne of scavenged, mismatched cushions. He lifted a cup of wine as if this were some kind of toast. Had I seen him without a filled goblet yet? “Well, relatively speaking.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”
He tilted his h
