Chapter 29

Shane’s head felt, for lack of better words, thick. Her eyes felt heavy, her chest felt tight, and her muscles felt week. She had no idea what happened, or where she was. The only things she did know, was that she was indeed alive, and that she was in a lot of pain.

She felt a sharp pain in her ribs and groaned to herself, thinking the slight protest would make it stop. The sharp pain only continued with more vigour until she finally managed to open her heavy eyelids. The world was out of focus and surprisingly less bright than it had been from what she could last remembered.

She gave her eyes a moment to adjust as the pain in her ribs subsided. There was a sweet aroma in the air and Shane blinked a few times in confusion. The world around her no longer smelled of fire, oil and gunpowder.

"My head hurts…" Shane grumbled and soon felt a cool hand press against her forehead and force her to lay back down.

"Finally." The soft and slightly exasperated sound of Carmen’s voice filled her ears and Shane blinked her eyes a few times trying to get her eyes to focus.

Carmen was hovering above her with a small smile on her lips. She cocked her head slightly to the right as she let her cool thumb brush Shane’s wild hair off of her forehead and Shane couldn’t help but relax at the feeling.

"How do you feel?" Carmen asked before placing her lips softly against Shane’s forehead where she’d just moved the hair from.

"Like someone strung me upside down and keelhauled me over an’ over again." Shane smiled at Carmen despite the sore condition her body was in and Carmen gave just the smallest chuckle back at Shane. "Where are we?" Shane’s eyebrows knitted together as she once again tried to sit up, but this time lied back down due to the pain in her sides rather than Carmen pushing her back.

She glanced around from her spot and took in the wooden walls, the faint glow from an oil lantern and the fancy pieces of art that hung on the walls. She knew this wasn’t where she was the last time her eyes were open.