Page 116 of Alchemised
The room flipped as she was dragged up and crushed tight.
“Stay … please … stay.”
The light grew and the strangest sensation came over her, a glow inside her chest, familiar even though she was certain she’d never experienced anything like it before. The constant feeling of strain inside her chest, like a thread pulled to the verge of snapping, slowly faded away.
She closed her eyes, drawing a struggling breath, and the dream dissolved into nothingness.
HELENA WOKE WITH A START, panic gripping her. She pushed herself up in bed, swaying as the room swam around her. She braced herself, ripping the needle from her arm, and tumbled from the bed.
There was something important she needed to do—
Her legs nearly gave out when they hit the floor. She stumbled, catching herself. A shock of pain lanced through her arms, but she ignored it.
She was supposed to be doing something.
What was it, though?
She couldn’t remember.
She was waiting. She needed to be ready for …
The knowledge danced just beyond reach, but she could feel it.
Don’t break.
She’d promised …
What? What had she promised? Think, Helena.
She had to remember now. She pressed her hands against her temples.
There were red spots dancing in her vision. Pain ballooning until it was larger than she was.
Ferron appeared in front of her. “What’s—”
She stared at him wildly. “I’m waiting—I promised I’d wait—”
Pain sheared through her brain, and the world split in two.
When her vision cleared, Ferron was still there, but his eyes had turned a flat grey, his hair darkened by shadows as he lunged towards her.
She fell back instinctively, fingers scrabbling, trying to find—
He vanished.
The room splintered.
Ilva Holdfast was sitting in front of her, her expression tense. “We’re losing the war.”
Before Helena could answer, Ilva was gone. Helena was falling.
No … She wasn’t falling.
Ferron had her by the throat, and he was slamming her onto the floor. His eyes narrowed into slits.
Cold water filled her mouth.
Everything was dark, ice-cold. She was surrounded by water. She could see Luc. He was clawing at his own throat, fingers leaving gouges in his skin.
