Page 15 of Heart of Dawn
Warm.
So warm.
The happy kind of warmth, as if sunbathing on the beach outside my hut on the Blonde Coast. A place I wanted to bring Miko so we could watch the sun rise and set. To hold his hand through lazy days, flirt with him in skimpy swimwear, enjoy our time together, be his mate, snuggle up to him in a bed without the threat of zombies, Lance, blood magi, or Dawn.
Let me make it happen…
I drifted through the rapidly fading nebula, snug as an assbug in a, well, an asshole. Happy to never remove myself just like those pesky bugs, to remain forever within the confines of this dream.
Not without Miko…
Done with sleeping, my eyelids slowly opened, allowing the light to creep in.
Too bright!
It took a few attempts to fully open my eyes, and a few more to adjust to the soft light flickering on a ceiling of hardpacked earth. The crackle of a fire made the only sound.
By the stars, where was I now?
I tried lifting my head, my neck as rigid as stone. I attempted to move my arms, my legs, but met heavy resistance. Strangely, I felt no pain.
Next, I licked my lips, trying to speak. No sound came out, my voice box on mute.
Very, very strange.
As I became more awake, I also became more aware of the tingling numbness across my body. Something covered me apart from my head, although my head tingled too. It seemed to be ice by the way it shimmered in the light. But I felt no cold, only warmth.
After a few more attempts at speaking, I gave up, searching for a new solution.
The yeti, Erna, did this to me. And she said she wanted me to be hers.
Oh, stars. Why did she have to say that? If I weren’t so numb, my insides would be twisting with dread.
What was I going to do?
Heavy footsteps sounded to my left. My eyes strained to see the movement, getting nothing but the ceiling.
“Good to see you awake,” Erna said, breathing heavily. “You’ll be safe with me. I hope.”
She hoped?
“If you survive.”
Survive what?
“Goodbye for now, fae.”
Her footsteps faded into the distance, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
The numbness failed to dampen a sudden rise in terror. It crawled across me like a thousand tarantulas, my frantic heartbeat too much to handle.
Pixie balls! What did Erna have planned for me? Whatever it was, it came with a world of hurt. Compared to her, I was a rag doll. Easily broken, far too fragile for those big hands.
I sent prayers to the stars again, begging them to save me.
Maybe I could bargain with the yeti, offer a favor for saving my life. Because she had. If not for her, I’d be in pieces right now. There had to be some bargaining nugget there.
Think hard. Think deeply,I told myself.And don’t panic.
