Waking Up

Aiden stirred awake slowly, his head heavy and throbbing as if a gang of trolls were hammering away inside his skull. He groaned, attempting to sit up, but the dull ache in his body protested against even the smallest movement. Fragments of recent events flitted through his mind like a disjointed puzzle, and then, with a jolt, he remembered.

The water bottle. It had been drugged.

Panic shot through him as his eyes widened. Serena had taken out a bottle for herself too—had she been drugged as well? The thought made his chest tighten. With newfound urgency, he pushed himself up, only to collapse back onto the couch as his legs turned to jelly beneath him.

His frantic gaze darted around the unfamiliar room. It took a moment to register that the surroundings had changed subtly. Or rather, the lighting had changed. They'd reached here early in the morning but now, it was almost evening. He'd been unconscious for most of the day!