Chapter 148: The Unexpected Betrayal

LYNN I woke up to the sensation of cold stone beneath my cheek and a splitting headache that felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my skull. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten there, but as consciousness slowly returned, the events of the previous night came flooding back in horrifying detail.   The elders. The captive witches. The crushing pain in my chest as magical hands squeezed my heart nearly to the point of stopping. The look of cold satisfaction on Simon's face as he watched us writhing in agony on the hospital floor.   I pushed myself up to a sitting position, my head spinning from the movement, and took in my surroundings. Stone walls, iron bars, the musty smell of dampness and despair ---- we were in the pack dungeons, the place where they kept prisoners awaiting trial or execution.   Beside me, Lumina was still unconscious, her face pale and drawn even in sleep. I reached out and shook her shoulder gently, not wanting to startle her but