Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Astrid’s POV
The spoon. Our lifeline. For a week, it had been the bridge across the chasm of my captivity, a silent messenger carrying whispers of hope and a plan for freedom. Shadow, the woman with the piercing blue eyes, had become my confidante, my partner in this desperate gamble.
Every day, she brought the meager meals, and with them, the carefully etched messages on the spoon’s handle. We exchanged information, piecing together the puzzle of my escape. It was a dangerous dance, conducted under the watchful gaze of Leon’s cameras, but we had no other choice.
"It’s been a week, Luna," Shadow had written this morning, her message barely visible in the dim light. "Any longer and the risk becomes too great. Leon may start getting suspicious."
I knew she was right. Leon’s visits had become more frequent, his questions more probing. Instead of saying he could start, I had a feeling he was already becoming suspicious that something was going on. He was like a predator circling its prey, sensing weakness, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
At first, I had been hesitant to trust Shadow. She was a stranger, a phantom who had materialized out of nowhere, claiming to be sent by Kaeleen. How could I be sure she wasn’t a spy, a pawn in Leon’s twisted game?
"Why should I trust you?" I had written back, my words etched into the spoon with a shaky hand. "How do I know you’re really working for Kaeleen?"
The next day, Shadow’s reply had been waiting for me, etched in the same careful script but this time, on the small bowl that held porridge and some fruit shadow had sneaked in for me.