"Why did you kill that guard, Cecilia?"

She looks at the man with disdain. "I prefer to be called Demo."

He ignores her remark. "Why did you kill him, Cecilia?"

She leans forward slightly, ignoring the way the manacles chafe her wrists, holding her in her chair. "Why? You're asking me why I killed him? Shouldn't you be asking how?"

He shifts in his seat. Something in her eyes disturbs him. "We will get to that in due time. For now, I am asking why."

She's silent for a moment, watching him with a piercing gaze. Finally, she sits back. "You want to know why I killed him? Very well. I'll tell you. I'll even tell you how I did it. Will that make you happy?"

"Ecstatic."

"When the guards removed my mask at breakfast, I held my mouth differently, with my jaw pushed forward and my lower teeth in front of my upper teeth. That gave me enough room to wiggle it around until the lock was in the front. Then I broke the lock with my teeth. They're very strong, you know. The dumb bastard never even saw it coming."

His eyes narrow slightly as he listens. "Very clever. But why, Cecilia?"

Her lips curve into a mocking smirk as she leans forward again, her eyes flashing in the flickering light. "Why? Because I wanted to hear him scream."

The manacles around her wrists snap easily. This time, no one hears the screams.