CHAPTER 34

(SHEILA'S POV)

I woke up with a sharp sting at the back of my head. I shifted onto my side, my auburn hair falling over my face as I reached up to touch the spot, fearing the worst. Thank the goddess, there was no sign of injury, but the nausea lingered. My heart raced, and I struggled to steady my breathing, teetering on the edge of consciousness once more.

Then it hit me—the situation I was in. 'You won't be seeing anyone, dear sister,' Emberlyn's words echoed in my mind. 'Mother's already arranged a buyer for you, a slave trader eager to take you.'

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus despite the panic rising within me. Slowly, I surveyed my surroundings. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls. I was enclosed in a cage, the fabric covering most of it obscuring my view, but I could sense the presence of others nearby. They, too, were likely slaves like me.

"Slave market," I murmured to myself, the words tasting bitter on my tongue as my mind swirled with t