Chapter 23

Erick

Every breath stung.

Even a tiny movement felt like I was in that hell hole once again trying to get Alina to safety… and struggling to keep Emiel from killing me.

“Ugh.” I opened my eyes with much difficulty. The light in the room felt blinding. I closed them again, groaning. God, why do I feel so weak?

“Erick?” Was that Alina? She was here? She sounded worried. I might not be in enemy hands after all.

“I—” My throat felt like someone had scrubbed it raw with sandpaper.

“Hang on. I’ll get some water.” I felt the bed rise as she got up. She had been right next to me.

“Here.” She didn’t touch me, but I felt the glass near my face. I opened my mouth a tiny bit and was rewarded with the cool flow of the liquid down my throat. I gulped it down greedily.

A sigh left my mouth as my throat felt normal again, but the thirst was still there, lusting for a much denser liquid that was my life force.

“Do you need something else? Blood?”Alina asked, still panicking.