Chapter 85. Signal

By the time Ximena stirred again, Allen was sure that it had been at least a few hours since she had dozed off.

She sat up slowly, steadying herself with her arms as she sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She grimaced in their direction.

“It’s fine. You need the rest to heal.” Allen answered gently.

“At one time this wouldn’t have knocked me as badly,” she spat, “I would have bounced back in a day or so… well, that bitch wouldn’t have ever been able to get close to me back then. It took Eromaug himself to immobilize me while his cronies did his dirty work. Ha! She would have been fried if she so much as stepped foot near me or my family back then!”

Her anger burned brightly in her eyes but as her shoulders sagged and her head dropped, Allen could feel himself filled with nothing but pity for her. She had been through so much, suffered so much down here all these years… it really was a testament to her inner strength that she hadn