Cami
I laid in the bed and cried. I felt emotionally drained as I cuddled the soft pillow. How could he have omitted so much information? I felt gut punched, betrayed. He could have told me about Estine, prepared me for her confrontation. But he didn’t. I heard the door, and I knew he’d left. That made me cry harder until I fell asleep.
Someone covered my mouth! I couldn’t breathe! Please stop! I wanted to scream but I couldn’t breathe. What is that smell? I felt dizzy. So dizzy. Please stop, I thought as my eyes grew heavy. The room spun around as someone held a cloth over my face. Zorvak, I called as darkness won the fight. My eyes closed in a drugged sleep.
~~~~
Blinking my eyes open, the fog clogged my memory. My head felt heavy, my breathing slow. What the hell happened? My head felt like lead as I turned it to the right. Some red male stood arguing with…what the shit? Estine? That fucking bitch had me drugged. I couldn’t hear what they argued over, but it didn’t matter. If I could shake the effects of the drug, I’d kill that bitch myself.
The hard table hurt my back. The worn wooden walls made me think I was in a cabin of some kind. My fogged brain called out to Zorvak.
Zorvak?
Cami? Where are you?
I don’t know. I’ve been drugged. Estine is here with someone I don’t recognize.
I’m coming for you.
Please hurry. I have a bad feeling.
I watched as the two argued, but they were too far away to hear what they said. I accessed my NI but there was nothing to connect to. I needed to escape. But how?
Estine’s eyes widened in surprise when she caught me staring. She said something to the male; he swiftly turned his gaze on me. Obviously, they weren’t happy that I was awake. As I laid there and watched them, darkness claimed me once again.
Cami, wake up. Zorvak’s sharp command was infused with a dose of strength.
I’m awake, I said, groggily.
I need to know where you are.
I could hear the panic in his voice, but I was helpless to help him. I didn’t know where I was, only that I wasn’t in his apartment any longer.
I don’t know.
What do you see? What do you hear?
I’m in a small room with worn wooden walls. I don’t hear anything, but I smell heat.
Heat?
Yes. The air feels warmer and I smell smoke.
Are you restrained?
Now why didn’t I think of that? I raised one arm, and then the other. No, I wasn’t. But the drug made it hard to focus. I blinked a couple of times before swinging my legs over the side of the table. Maybe if I could see outside…
I slid to my feet and almost fell to the floor before placing a hand on the wall and steadying myself. My feet felt like blocks of concrete as I slowly dragged them to the door. I rested my ear against the wooden door. No sound. Where had they gone? With one hand, I grasped the handle before I yanked it open with a pathetic attempt. Damn drugs!
I’m very close to a volcano.
How close? Show me? I projected the image of the cabin and the volcano. I’ll be there soon.
“Hey! Where do you think you are going?”
I turned sharply and instantly regretted it. It made me dizzier. But not enough to miss the knife in his hand.
My eyes widened in fear as my heart pounded.
Cami, what’s happening?
I took off running, trying to get away from this man and whatever he had planned for me. My legs pumped as I tried to get away, but with the drugs still in my system, I was no match for him. He tackled me to the ground, rolled me onto my back and straddled me. He was too heavy.
His face twisted in anger as he pointed the tip of the four-inch smooth blade at my cheek.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked as I tried to turn my head away from the knife.
“You think I don’t know what’s about to happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“When I heard Lord Garan’s plans, we tried to get rid of Zorvak, kill Lord Garan so Esad would be named ruler. Then he showed up with you.” The knife cut my cheek just enough to draw blood. “Estine wants you dead.” His grin turned menacing. “Zorvak is next. His line will not rule Ulaya. Mine will.”
I stared into the eyes of hatred as he dragged the tip of the knife down my cheek, between the valley of my breasts…I closed my eyes. I love you, Zorvak. The knife sunk deep in my mid chest, just below the sternum. I moaned from the pain, an intense burning sensation when he pulled it out. Blood rushed to cover my shirt. He slowly stabbed me once…twice…I lost consciousness.