Darkness.
The world pulsed.
A sharp ringing drilled through my skull, drowning out everything else.
I tried to breathe.
Ash scraped down my throat.
Every inhale burned.
Something warm trickled across my forehead, blurring my vision.
Blood.
Smoke.
That was the only thing I recognized with certainty.
Burning pine.
Melting stone.
Ancient timber collapsing somewhere above me.
I couldn't move.
Stone pressed against my legs.
Dust filled my lungs.
For one terrifying moment, I couldn't tell whether I was trapped beneath the church...
Where am I?
Memory returned in broken pieces.
Gunfire.
Damien.
The envelope.
My heartbeat lurched.
Damien.
Was he alive?
The question hit before I understood why it mattered.
My hand flew beneath my jacket.
Paper.
Thick.
Unbroken.
Relief
