Book 19: One Moment

Oakley

“Hi there. No, you’re all right.” Juliette presses against my chest. I ease back against cushions that smell and feel unfamiliar. I have no idea where I am or why she’s here. “Everything’s fine.” A cool rag presses against my forehead, biting through heat so fierce I wonder if my skin is still attached to my body or has melted off entirely. 

Somewhere in my hazy vision, a door opens and shuts with a gentle click, and a shadow crosses the room to stand at Juliette’s side. 

“It’s over. Ian will be on his way shortly, I think.” Fennec gripping Juliette’s shoulder comes into view while my vision slowly focuses. 

I’m in a luxurious four-poster bed with a canopy of thick, creamy white velvet. Now, I remember coming here. I remember being so exhausted that Ian had to help me into a large copper batht