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She sucked in a sharp breath as consciousness finally struck.
Her eyes fluttered open, blurry images skipping past.
A blinding light stung her eyes first, and she squeezed them shut again as pain radiated through her head.
When she finally tore them open once again, two shadowed male figures stood above her.
Tantalizing memories were a blur, floating at the edge of her mind, just barely out of reach.
But there was one thought that sprang into her head.
Maddie.
Her body lurched upward on its own. She reached out, her hand springing for the closest shadowed figure. And even as pain slashed through her, she couldn’t be stopped.
The world spun as she clawed her way up, holding desperately to the small bit of consciousness she’d gripped onto.
And even though she couldn’t hear over the ringing in her ears, or clearly make out the blurred shapes in front of her, she could sense the chaos that rippled through the space.
More shadowed figures came into view, enveloping her one by one.
She barely registered a small prick in her neck.
And then, like it had never even happened, the world slowly evaporated back into nothing.
Chapter fifty
The first thing Maddie noticed as she woke was the dry ache in her throat.
Then, ever so slowly, she felt that ache expand until it finally stopped somewhere at the back of her head.
She blinked, eyes heavy and crusted together, as if they’d been shut for an eternity.
Her fingers flexed against something soft covering her thighs.
A blanket?
She groaned, lifting her head, and instantly regretted it as a splitting pain pulsed through her skull.
“Hey,” her mother’s muffled, hoarse voice came from beside her. “Take it slow.”
She drew in a breath, relaxing back into the soft pillow beneath her head.
“Where—where are we?” she asked, barely recognizing her own raw voice.
Her mother’s soft hand took hers, squeezing it lightly. “We made it, honey. You’re in the medical ward at the new safe zone.”
It took her a second to process the words.
Then it took another few moments to understand what they meant as the memories of the last few days floated back to her.
Traveling. The city. Getting to the harbor.
Then getting on the boat.
Saff.
Maddie pushed up fully this time, her head sending a warning as it pleaded with her to stop.