Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
The absence of the hum from stasis was the first thing Fedra noticed when she woke. The second thing was that she could no longer pick up any sounds from the city around her. She sat in the silence, unsure whether to be happy or frightened.
Was this a dream? She’d had them before about being released. Yet this felt different. She could feel the supple covers over her and the soft bedding beneath her. To test it, she attempted to move her pinky. Surprise rushed through her when it bent. It appeared she really was out of the pod.
She remained still and kept her eyes closed, leaning into her other senses to gauge where she was and whether anyone was nearby. Almost immediately, she knew she wasn’t alone, but she couldn’t discern who was near as she once had.
Fedra picked up the soft sound of someone breathing. She listened to it for so long, her own breath synced with whoever it was. It had been so easy to detect people when she was in stasis, but now, she couldn’t hear like before. That was more proof that she had, indeed, been moved.
She wished she had been aware of that happening.
That way, she could have heard not just the discussion about her, but also who ultimately released her.
It shouldn’t matter. It wasn’t as if she was sticking around.
She would convey her appreciation but adhere to her plan to exit the city as soon as possible. Preferably without anyone realizing it.
She’d spent all her time thinking about getting free.
Now that the first step had been taken, she needed to start thinking about how to handle what came next.
The questions would be many, and she had to keep the answers as honest as she could without giving everything away. Her mission was simple but effective.
Her thoughts ground to a halt when she became aware of a large presence next to her. It was difficult to keep her breathing even as her heart began racing. Every instinct urged her to open her eyes and look around, but she hesitated.
The bed dipped as the person sat near her.
Her body tensed instinctively, and she had to actively relax each muscle so her awareness would not be detected.
Sooner or later, though, she would have to open her eyes.
She was just about to do that when a large hand gently rested against her forehead.
It was there for only a moment, but it was the first time someone had touched her since she’d gone into stasis.
The curiosity was too much for her, and Fedra finally opened her eyes. Everything was a blur of gray and black with flashes of yellow. She immediately blinked, hoping her vision would clear.
“Easy, lass.”
She knew that deep voice. Her head rolled toward Marcus, but she couldn’t discern his features.
His large hand moved to rest atop hers. She hadn’t been aware that she was clenching the blanket until then. “Relax,” he urged. “Give your eyes time to adjust.”
That’s right. The scientists had said there might be a few complications when she woke, but they’d assured her they would be minimal and would eventually subside. However, not being able to see was anything but trivial. She needed her eyes to complete her mission.
Fedra started to sit up, but her body wouldn’t move as she wanted it to. She had the will, but not the strength.
“Wait,” Marcus bade as he added pillows behind her to prop her up. “Better?”
She swallowed and nodded, keeping her gaze straight ahead and waiting for her vision to clear so she could make out her surroundings.
“So, you can understand me.”
There was no need to reply to his statement. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap and tried to stay as calm as possible. The longer her eyes refused to adjust, the more panicked she became.
Marcus removed his hands but stayed beside her. “I’m sure you’re disoriented and need a moment. I can step out of the room if you’d like.”
“Stay.” The word was out of her mouth before she had time to think.
“All right,” he replied after a long pause. “Do you remember anything?”
She remembered everything. It was both a curse and a gift, because the only way she could do what she’d come to do was to remember every detail. Fedra nodded once.
“I heard someone calling for help where we found you.”
She lowered her gaze as she waited for him to finish. She knew what he wanted to ask. She could take pity on him and answer, but she chose to make him say it.
“Was that you?” he asked.
She thought she knew how she would answer, but now that he waited for her reply, it wasn’t as easy as that.
The truth, when she could give it, was always better.
It would make it easier to keep the lies straight later on.
But for some reason she couldn’t explain, she didn’t want him to know how much his presence had helped her.
Finally, she nodded.
“Then do you know who it is that sits beside you?”
She nodded again.
He released a long breath. “Why did you call out to me?”
Her lips parted to speak, but her mouth was too dry. She attempted to swallow.
“Here,” Marcus said, and placed a glass in her hand.
Then he helped her bring it to her mouth. The water tasted as sweet and delicious as any delicacy. Fedra tried to sip it, but she soon gulped it down. He took the empty glass from her, leaving her with nothing to do with her hands but clutch them once more.
“The answer can wait. I shouldna have pushed you,” he said.
Fedra drew in a deep breath and released it. “It was because you were there with me.”
She winced at how her voice croaked. She had known she would be somewhat weakened when she finally woke, because the technology used to freeze her had drawbacks. It would take a little time for her body to be strong again. Until then, she was at the mercy of those around her.
“You know my name, then,” he said softly.
She turned her eyes toward him, even though she still couldn’t see clearly. “Marcus.”
“Will you tell me your name?”
“Fedra.”
“Fedra,” he repeated, letting her name roll off his tongue. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you.”
She looked away. “Are you the one who opened the pod?”
“In a manner. Ryder pushed the button, but I carried you out.”
It was too bad she couldn’t remember that. She would’ve enjoyed knowing what it felt like to be held by him. “How long ago was that?”
There was a brief pause before he said, “About ten hours.”
How could she have slept that long after getting out?
“You doona need to worry about your safety. No one here will harm you,” he stated.
Fedra wasn’t worried about those in the city. It was what was outside. “You don’t know who I am or why I’m here, and yet you promise such a thing?”
“I do.”
His confidence was staggering. There wasn’t arrogance in his voice. Instead, she heard only simple conviction. Too bad he hadn’t been there when she needed such support.
Their conversation ended with the sound of a latch opening, and then several sets of footsteps entered the room. She turned her head toward the sound and squinted, hoping she might make out some figures, but her vision remained cloudy.
“Fedra just woke,” Marcus said as he rose from the bed. “She’s having problems with her vision.”
She waited for someone to reply to determine how many had walked in.
While she might not be able to see, she could sense that everyone was staring at her.
It was unnerving to have so many eyes on her.
It wasn’t something she was used to. Not with the life she had lived before.
She wanted to turn away, to do anything to get their attention off her.
“Are there any other side effects?”
She recognized the voice, but she couldn’t place the name that went with it. It was someone she should know, someone Marcus and the others deferred to whenever she had heard them speak.
“No’ that she’s said,” Marcus answered.
The tread of footsteps slowly moved toward her. “I can no’ imagine how distressing it is no’ to be able to see.”
He was right next to her. Fedra fought the urge to curl her hands into the blanket. Her heart thumped wildly against her ribs. Not being able to see who was beside her put her at a distinct disadvantage.
“You needn’t fear us,” a woman said.
Her voice sounded different from the others. Fedra had heard it a few times, but she didn’t think she knew the woman’s voice.
“My name is Con,” the man said. “The woman you heard is my mate, Rhi.”
Con. Of course. That’s who he was. Fedra nodded to him. “Hello.”
“I may be able to help with your eyesight,” he said.
She frowned as she looked in the direction of his voice. “Really?”
“I should, but I can no’ guarantee anything. I just need to touch your hand. Is that acceptable?”
Fedra nodded quickly, wondering if he intended to use acupressure. Con then put his fingers on the top of her hand. She waited to feel something, anything, but there was nothing. Nor did her eyesight improve.
“Can you see us?” Rhi asked.
Fedra shook her head. “It’s the same.”
“What’s going on?” Marcus asked, a thread of worry in his tone.
Con grunted. “I’m no’ sure.”
“It didn’t work,” Rhi stated.
Con dropped his hand. “It did no’.”
A chill raced down Fedra’s back. She strained her ears to pick up the slightest sound. Her heart started hammering against her ribs. If she was in trouble, she had to run away. She was about to ask if Con had used magic when Marcus spoke.
“That doesna make sense,” he stated.
Rhi said, “Maybe it has something to do with the chamber or the pod.”
“You may be right. We need to look into that more,” Con murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Fedra grew uncomfortable at the sudden silence that followed. They were likely talking among themselves and didn’t wish for her to know.
“I’m staying,” Marcus suddenly declared.
Con merely grunted.
“I’ll get Sian. She might be able to use her gifts,” Rhi said.
Fedra’s anxiety steadily rose, making her break out in a sweat. “What do you mean by gifts?”
There wasn’t an immediate answer as footsteps retreated out of the room.
“Sian is an Alchemist,” Marcus finally answered.
“What is that, exactly?”
His voice moved closer as he said, “Someone who knows how to blend base materials for various things. She has a lab here, and while she loves working with metals, she’s also highly skilled in crafting remedies for all sorts of ailments.”
The relief that rolled through her was so great, her knees would have buckled had she been standing. After everything she had been through, the last place she wanted to be was around those with magic. The results would be disastrous—and tragic.