Chapter One There was only silence, darkness, and pain. I eased my eyes open – just a fraction – not too wide. There was a splinter of white light and I shut my eyes against its glare. The pain twisted and burned inside my skull then clawed its way down one of my legs. I wasn’t sure which one – the pain was agonising and it consumed me. The darkness came again and took the pain away. The grunting noise woke me. The grunts came in deep, booming waves, causing my whole body to rattle. I forced my eyelids open and they felt heavy. Shiny black hair brushed against my cheek and it felt brittle and coarse. There was a smell too – not the sweet scent of flowers but the smell of animals and sweat. I was yanked across a rough stone floor by my ankle and a bolt of pain exploded inside of me. It felt as if my spine were being twisted out of shape. I cried out, my throat dry and sore. There were several more grunts and then the blackness took me again. My tongue felt swollen and stiff. I ran the tip over my lips and they were cracked and sore. The need for water was overwhelming. I opened my eyes and I could see a small silver dish sitting a few feet away from me on the grey stone floor. Too weak