Ariel stirred softly on the bed, the faint rustle of the white sheets was the only sound in the quiet room.
A dull ache throbbed behind her head as her consciousness slowly returned. She shifted slightly, trying to turn onto her side, only for something to pull sharply at her wrists.
Her eyes snapped open.
For a moment everything was blurred, the ceiling above her unfamiliar.
She lifted her hands instinctively, only to find them bound together by a seal-bond, a blue rope woven with faint glowing markings.
The seal-bond is commonly used by demons and witches.
It is used to bind their captives from moving too far.
Panic flickered in her chest.
Ariel tugged at it. The moment she did, the rope tightened instantly, the symbols along it faintly pulsing as if alive. A sharp sting ran through her wrists, forcing a soft gasp from her lips.
She froze.
"So you're awake."
The voice came from somewhere in the room.
