Chapter 132

• ZARA POV
• Darkness. That's all there was. A thick, heavy darkness that pressed in on me from all sides. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with dry cotton, and a dull, throbbing ache pulsed behind my eyes. I tried to move, to stretch, but my limbs wouldn't respond. A cold dread washed over me as I realized my hands were bound tightly behind my back, and my ankles were similarly restrained. A rough cloth was jammed against my mouth, making it hard to breathe, and something tight and unfamiliar was wrapped around my neck.
• The ringing in my ears slowly faded, replaced by a low, rumbling sound. It took a moment to register: an engine. And the tires... they weren't on smooth pavement. They crunched and slid over something rough, maybe gravel, or even dirt. A sudden jolt sent a sharp pain through my head as it slammed against something hard above me. I finally understood. I was in a car, or some kind of vehicle, but I was hidden, trapped.