The cold hit like a heavy, damp chill that seemed to seep straight through her clothes and settle deep in her bones. Somewhere off in the gloom, there was the steady sound of water dripping onto stone, echoing softly in the silence.
Azaria slowly regained consciousness, her eyelids feeling painfully heavy as she tried to force them open. At first, everything was just a blur of dark shadows and disorientating shapes and the room shifted uncomfortably whenever she tried to focus her mind. A violent throbbing pounded behind her temples, making her feel instantly nauseous, and her throat was so dry it felt as if she had been swallowed whole by dust.
