"No," Derek whispered. "I won't let them take you. They will hurt you."
"I have to," Marissa said. Her voice was calm, almost soothing. "I am innocent. Running makes me look guilty. Fighting makes you a criminal."
She looked into his eyes.
"Trust me," she whispered. "I can handle whatever they intend to do to me."
She stepped out from behind him. She walked toward Captain Odis. She held out her hands, wrists together.
"I will go with you," Marissa said loudly, so the crowd could hear. "I have nothing to hide."
Captain Odis nodded. He signaled to one of his men. The guard stepped forward, holding a pair of heavy iron shackles.
Derek watched as they clamped the iron around her delicate wrists.
The sound of the lock clicking shut—snap—echoed in the silent hall, a definitive end to her freedom.
