A chill ran down Gemma’s spine.
She continued to study the carvings until she rounded a bend and faced a ball of beautiful purple light. It was suspended in the air and humming with latent power, its surface etched with the same glyphs from the sensory deprivation trial.
Mesmerized, Gemma drew closer, her footsteps guided by an irresistible force. It was beckoning her to caress it.
Deep inside, she knew not to touch it. But it called to her, as if it were meant for her alone.
Trepidation gnawed at her soul, but she felt possessed, unable to stop her forward progression. She had to feel it, to have the wonders it possessed.
Her fingers brushed against the orb’s surface.
A surge of energy coursed through her veins, engulfing her in a kaleidoscope of sensations. She was on fire—
No, she was cold.
Freezing.
So frigid that her bones felt like they would shatter.What have I done?
A howl ripped through her core as her atoms split apart. She could taste her own tears, smell her own blood, feel every molecule of her flesh.
Gemma clawed at her chest, struggling to breathe, to think, to push it out—
Torrential, acidic pain sent her to her knees.
She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, toppling forward and screaming into the weathered, lacquered red floor of the ancient room.
Someone yelled her name as purple blood dripped from her nose.
The world went black.
“Come on, Gemma. Wake up. Please, wake up,” Christian called, his voice penetrating the darkness.
Gemma’s eyelids fitted open. “What happened?”
Christian dropped his head, swearing under his breath.
She lay on a dry, dusty floor, staring at an orange celestial ceiling. To her right, a stone ball rested on top of a chalice-shaped pillar, and throughout the small inlet were several doorless gateways filled with glittery purple light.
“You tell me,” Christian answered her question. “I heard you scream. You were unconscious by the time I found you.” He helped her into a seated position, one slow inch at a time.
She winced at the mild pain in her head, and Christian’s jaw clenched. How had she ended up on the ground? The last thing she remembered was running her fingertips across carvings in stone columns.
Maybe her glucose level had fallen too low. It had been a while since she’d eaten anything. But then that wouldn’t explain the scream...
“I found an exit!” Imara shouted from a short distance away.
Christian sighed. He stood and held out a hand to Gemma. “Do you think you can stand?”
Gemma nodded. She put her hand in Christian’s, and he hoisted her to her feet. The world spun momentarily.
He palmed her lower back as her eyes focused. “I’m not sure we should keep moving, yet. Maybe you should take—”
“I’m fine,” Gemma cut him off. “It’s more important we find the outpost. I can monitor my symptoms.”
The small muscles in his jaw flexed. “Promise me you’ll tell me if you start feeling like something’s wrong.”
She glared at him, but the worry in his eyes softened her frustration. Gemma nodded. “I promise.”
