Chapter 5: Fever And Chains
Martha stopped just outside Lily’s cell, her breath caught in her throat. The sight through the bars nearly broke her.
“Dear goddess...” she whispered.
Her fingers curled tightly around the small bundle of cloth she had tucked under her arm. A clean towel, a blanket and a flask of water. It was all she’d managed to gather before coming down here.
Lily lay on the damp stone floor, curled in on herself, her body trembling. The oversized shirt she wore was clinging to her fragile frame.
Martha rushed to the bars, her voice shaking. “Let me in. Please. She needs help.”
One of the guards snorted. “Waste of time. She’s not gonna make it. Give her a day. Two, tops.”
They unlocked the cell without much care, waving her in like they were tossing her into a pit.
“No,” Martha whispered, stepping into the cell with slow, careful steps. “No, no, no...”
She dropped to her knees beside Lily and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. The heat made her flinch.
Fever. And it’s bad. Her skin was flushed, her lips pale and cracked. Her eyes barely fluttered open, glazed and unfocused.
Tears welled in her eyes as she smoothed the damp hair from Lily’s face. “Oh, my sweet girl... what have they done to you?”
Behind her, the guards chuckled.