Page 106 of Bones

“You’re not the night monster.”

“La-de-da.”

“And you were there,” I muttered to the familiar voices as I came to. “And you. And you. Together.”

Togethertogethertogether.

I rapidly blinked, my dry eyes burning with each rise and fall of my lids. I could barely see the three of them in the dark, dank room. “What happened? Where are we?”

“We were talking on the sidewalk, and you just went blank,” Juno said, pacing the dark, dank space. “What happened?”

“A vision.”

I think.

“If that was a vision, I take back what I said. I don’t want you to trigger one. Ever. We’ll figure something else out. How are you at stabbing? Maybe a flamethrower?—”

“Where are we?” I repeated, cutting her hysterics short.

“While you were frozen, an Absolve dick-pickle squealed up in a van to grab you. We jumped in, too.”

That was… oddly touching.

Stupid.

Idiotic.

But I couldn’t deny it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Can either of you transport us out of here?” I asked.

“We tried. There are wards carved into the wall,” Lilith said.

“They’re not invisible? Odd. Primitive. And another perk of your night vision. I’m doing two-day delivery on some goggles as soon as we get out of here.” Juno put her hand on my forehead. “Are you okay? You didn’t blink once. And then you got thiscreepyStepford Wivessmile. My heebies are officially fucking jeebied.”

“I’m fine. That was… different. My visions are usually short. Fleeting little glimpses.”

“Something to look into later. Once we’re out of this basement, my goggles are on their way, and… Oh no, she’s frozen again. It’s starting.”

“Shh,” I whispered seconds before footsteps sounded above us.

“What’s happening?” Juno asked Lilith, but she just shrugged.

“You don’t hear that?”

Everyone shook their heads.

My mind raced.

These women—the first true friends I’d ever had in my life—were there because of me. To protect me when I’d been vulnerable. I couldn’t let something happen to them.

My chest tightened at the thought, but before panic could fully flare, it seemed to kickstart something. The right half of my vision went fuzzy.

Oh hell, I’m having a stroke.

Isn’t it supposed to be the left side?

And I don’t smell toast.

---