Two Days Later
How she was still alive was beyond her. Carissa knew from her time in Zonah that the human body could be incredibly resilient, living on even when one was perpetually in pain. Each step was a miracle given how she could barely keep upright. She even doubted she’d have enough energy to draw her next breath, yet somehow she managed.
She’d reached a road and was trying to be grateful for the smoother traveling, but it was difficult, with pain flaring in her joints, with the agony from her wounds sapping her energy, with each step becoming more challenging than the last.
When the city first came into view, her knees weakened in relief, and she barely managed to catch herself against a tree. The bark scraped against her inflamed forearm, and she bit down on her lip to stifle a scream.
When the pain subsided, a coppery tang filled stung her mouth. Her teeth must have pierced her lip. Now she’d have to be cautious whenever she ate food, lest her lip start bleeding again. At least until Elon healed her.
Elon. The thought of him stirred up confusion, even pain, but not anger. The past three days had made her acutely aware of how much she’d come to depend on him. Whether or not she liked it, he’d become an integral part of her. She was looking forward to his healing caresses, his gentle embraces, his ridiculous flirtations, and even his vague warnings. In fact, the worst part of the past few days wasn’t her exhaustion or physical injuries.
It was Elon’s absence.