XIV
Etta woke up with a feeling that something terrible was going on.
She was lying still, chasing the last clear memory of the previous evening, but her stream of consciousness was as if cut with a sharp knife. Her body was heavy as if made of led, she could barely breath. She felt hands on her face, but could not open her eyes, the light that hit them through the cracks in her lids was blinding. Her body was aching, as if she had been badly beaten up, every breath was a struggle, as if an iron clamp was being put around her chest. And if that wasn’t enough, somebody tried to put something into her mouth.
Etta narrowed her eyes and recognized Raina’s tawny face. The droid was trying to force open her jaw and slide a cold metal object inside, right between her teeth. Was she trying to k
