Page 149 of Nemesis

I turn and head back to the hospital. But it only takes a few steps for my feet to be numb. Somehow, I retain my balance, stay upright, until I lose more feeling. My head swims.

He catches me from behind and scoops me into his arms. “I’m sorry.”

I blink at him, but even that is slow. I lose seconds while my eyes are shut, and suddenly I’m being put into the backseat of a car.

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “It’ll all be over soon.”

The door slams.

“A little something to make her more compliant,”a long-dead woman whispers in my ear. Flashes of vulnerability swarm my memory. As much as I try to think of anything else, everything comes back around to Terror.

And my helplessness.

Finally, that light-headedness overtakes me. I close my eyes, and they stay closed. I don’t know who’s driving the car, if it’s Kade or someone else—and I don’t want to know. Not like this.

42ARTEMIS

I must’ve passedout or been dragged into oblivion by the drug. But waking up is worse, because there’s a fabric bag over my head. Every inhale pulls it against my lips and nose, making it hard to get a true deep breath.

As a result, I hyperventilate. I can only focus on that, my frantic breathing and the blood rushing in my ears. White spots dance in front of my eyes.

The bag flies off my head.

It’s in the grip of a man who is at once foreign and familiar. Dark hair that’s recently been buzzed short, cold blue eyes. Beauty still clings to him, although maybe it’s just my perception that’s warped.

He grips my chin, tilting my head up. “As much fun as it would be to see you pass out, we need to have a chat. So slow it down, Madden. Deep breaths, now.”

With the bag off, the oppressive, claustrophobia removed, it’s easier to do that. To follow his direction and slow everything down. As soon as my chest loosens, and that crushing panic abates, he releases me.

I’m bound to a chair. My wrists are secured behind my back, my ankles attached to the legs. I jerk, testing the hold, andGabriel laughs in my face. He’s so close, I can’t tell much else about the room. I can’t seem to look away from the madman in front of me.

My muscles tremble.

“Still weak,” he says. He’s got a hard-shell case on a chair behind him, and the gleam of different bottles under the fluorescent lighting speaks of terrible things. “Kade handed you over. How do you feel about that?”

I narrow my eyes.

“Betrayal has never sat well with you.” He approaches again, leaning in and bracing his hands on the arms of the chair. His face comes in close to mine. He has a bandage across his nose. “Kade gave you up to save Reese Avery. Did he tell you that before he stabbed you in the back?”

“He apologized,” I say stiffly. “And I have a feeling it was more your fault than his.”

Gabriel laughs. “Yes, yes, it was all my fault. I didn’t give him much of a choice, did I? The cocktail I gave Reese… well, it’s designed to interact with those pesky drugs they give to bring patients out of comas. It just dragged him deeper into the depths of his own mind.” He pauses, examining me. “There’s something beautiful about that, don’t you think? It was a nasty concoction to begin with, everything crafted to put him under for a long time. But it worked perfectly.”

“So what he said was right.” I sigh. “Reese wouldn’t wake up without you fixing it.”

“Giving him the correct combination of drugs to unlock his mind? Correct. It’s like a key to the cage trapping him in his own body. Delightful to watch you all moan and squirm…” He leans in even closer. We’re nose to nose. “How I love to watch you moan and squirm.”

“So what’s your plan with me?” I demand.

He smiles.

“Well, that’s simple, dear Artemis. We’re going to reminisce about the good old days.”

That does not sound promising.

He nods encouragingly. “Yes, yes, exactly right. Here.”

He moves aside, and I get my first good glimpse at my surroundings. So focused on him, I didn’t look around when I should’ve. We’re in the amphitheater at Terror.

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