35| Broken Places

At first when she opened her eyes, she did not know where she was. She ached all over, every single muscle in her body that could ache ached, but her head most especially — it seemed like there was a battle ground inside her skull two opposing factions were warring bitterly. She grunted as she shifted, trying to make sense of where she was. Slowly, painfully, she managed to sit up, and it occurred to her that she was in the outhouse. The stench of blood was still in the air, and her memories came back in bright and obscene flashes — Arielle taking off Lumos's head, the spurt of blood, the physical exertion it had taken to clean the room.

"Ohh, no," she said to herself as she straightened up.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh," she heard a familiar voice. "Look who's awake."

She saw Angelo's wiry frame make it into the room, a smug smile on his face. He must have been standing outside all the while.

"Girl, you look terrible," he said to her, and Claudine could tell, by the look of disgust on his face, a l