FAYE
When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me was unfamiliar—too white, too bright, too still. For a few seconds, I just lay there blinking at it, my mind foggy and slow, as if someone had stuffed cotton between my thoughts. Then the faint smell of drifted in, a soft electronic beep pulsed steadily nearby.
The clinic.
Why was I in the clinic?
It took another sluggish moment before the memory slid back into place—me trying to stand after the council meeting, the floor swaying like it wanted to fling me across the room, and Cole catching me before everything dissolved into darkness.
I exhaled heavily.
Great.
I turned my head slightly and saw the IV drip at my side, the clear liquid dripping in a patient rhythm. One needle in my hand. A thin blanket over me. Someone had removed my s
