The fever broke sometime in the gray hours of the morning.
When Nikki finally opened her eyes, the burning heat that had consumed her body was gone, replaced by a cool, damp clamminess.
She was tangled in the sheets of the master bed, wearing nothing but one of the General's black undershirts. It smelled of him, always that thick scent of rain and roses.
She blinked at the ceiling, her brain feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.
I'm alive, she thought, the memory of the storage room and Councilor Vane's terrifying grin flooding back. Slimy disgusting old gizzards.
She turned her head. The spot beside her was empty, but the pillow was indented, as if someone heavy had been sitting there watching her sleep.
Ding!
A soft, cheerful chime echoed in her skull.
Maybe I should really disable that sound system!
Nikki groaned, shielding her eyes as a bright blue holographic window materialized in the air directly above her face.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
