The world was a blur of pain and darkness when I woke, my head pounding as if someone were beating a drum inside my skull. The floor beneath me vibrated with a mechanical hum that made me sway with every bump. We were moving. My wrists burned, tied with a rough rope that bit into my skin, and the air reeked of rusted metal and gasoline. I blinked, trying to focus, and realized I was in the back of a van, sprawled across a filthy tarp. Dim light filtered through a small window, barely illuminating Serena’s face. She sat across from me, her eyes gleaming with a mix of satisfaction and disdain.
“Serena?” I croaked, my voice raw, barely a whisper. I remembered seeing her just before I blacked out. The mark on my collarbone throbbed, a burning reminder of the bond that still tied me to Ethan.
