Chapter 53

• “Domitilla! Domitilla, can you hear me?!”
• The voice cut through the fog like a blade, slicing into the distorted haze muffling my senses. A light slap landed on my cheek, jerking me closer to consciousness. Pain came rushing in all at once hot, sharp, and everywhere. It felt as though every nerve in my body had caught fire, every muscle pulled and torn.
• A ragged breath escaped me as I forced my eyes open. My legs were sprawled uselessly on the ground, and I couldn’t move them. My upper body drooped limply, barely upright thanks to the support of Gosto’s arms. He was kneeling beside me, his chest heaving with shallow breaths, his eyes dark and worried locked on mine. His hands clenched around my arms, wordlessly willing me to respond.