Chapter 27

I was thirsty.My tongue felt thick, and my throat was as dry as the Sahara. I needed to wake up to get a drink of water.

"There, there. Do not thrash, or you will hurt yourself," the stranger's voice cautioned me.

I struggled to open my eyes. It felt like my lids were weighted down. Once I could see through the narrow slit, I didn't recognize where I was. The room was bathed in shadows, and an oil lamp was on the table beside my bed.

"Wh…?" My throat hurt so badly that I couldn't continue.

"I am Miriam," she said as if I should recognize her.

After working up enough spit to swallow, I asked hoarsely, "One name, like Cher and Sting?"

"I do not know those names. Are they Pack?" Her voice was harsh, but her dark eyes showed intelligence.

I wanted to ask a hundred questions, but my mouth was too dry. Running my tongue over my cracked lips felt like a huge exertion.

"I will fetch the water."

I didn't want to close my eyes for fear I would sleep. I needed to know where I was and what was happening.

Miriam returned. She propped my pillows while I lay on my side. Then, I felt her lift me into a position where I was sitting up.

I was so weak she had to hold the glass to my lips while helping me stay in this position.

"Slowly, or you will choke."

I wanted to be greedy. My body knew it needed hydration.

She pulled the glass away after two swallows when I choked and began coughing.

"I told you to go slowly." She frowned as I tried to catch my breath.

"Thirsty." Now, I was exhausted. Although I wanted more water, I was too tired to try.

"Close your eyes. Sleep will help with your healing."

I didn't know how much time had passed when I woke again. My mouth was still dry, but my desperate yearning for water had disappeared. I looked around the room with interest. It was austere, with only a wooden chair and a small table beside the bed. The air smelled of herbs.

This wasn't a hospital or clinic. There were no sounds in the background. My inner voice urged me to stay very still.

The door opened, and Miriam returned. "I have water."

I began to reach for the glass and stopped when pain shot from my shoulder to my arm.

She held the glass while I drank slowly. "Very good."

I was greedy for every drop as my tongue circled my lips.

"I will bring a sling so that you won't use your arm."

I looked down at my body with interest. The blanket blocked my view, so I began flexing my toes, then my feet, moving higher. Stopping when it hurt too much. "What happened?"

"What do you recall?"

I relaxed back into the pillows, trying to catch my breath. I searched my mind and panicked when I could find no reason for my injuries.

"It is not surprising that you cannot recall. Calm yourself," she ordered firmly while not raising the volume of her voice.

"I can't remember," I whispered. My instinct was to get up and run.

"Sage, you are safe here. I give you my oath." Miriam placed her hand over her heart. "Rest. Your body and mind need to recover."

I wanted to ask more questions. However, I sensed she could not give me the information I sought.

I closed my eyes and tried to track my last memory. It was a starting point. I needed to figure out what had happened.