Alice removed her headscarf and examined her face in the bathroom mirror. The blisters were worse and extended over part of her neck and shoulder.
She stared at herself in mounting horror. How could a simple slap have done this? It couldn"t, of course, not unless there was some malevolent magic at work. She shuddered at the thought of the evil forces ranged against her. She couldn"t control them, or formulate a plan of retaliation. She was doomed. She would lose her sanity and her child.
But Simon would help her. This was all she had left to cling to. However, Simon wasn"t an adept in occult workings. Would he realise the odds stacked against him and abandon her to her fate?
* * *
During the evening meal in the dining area Alice wore a keffiyeh over her head, neck and shoulders. Beneat
