Chapter 16: Grace

I come awake slowly. I’m completely disoriented, not recognizing any of the smells around me. When I open my eyes, I see that I am alone in a hotel room.

Everything comes flooding back to me and I gasp, my hand flying to my neck. I can feel where my neck has puncture wounds from being forcibly marked.

‘Maia? Do you know where we are?’

‘No. I was knocked out, the same as you.’

I sit up and look around. From where I’m sitting, I see my bag and what looks like Eli’s bag. I get up and run over to his bag, opening it and seeing that it is his and his things are still inside. I open my bag and see that it’s pretty much untouched, my money still inside.

The blinds on the window are closed and I go over and peek outside. I can see the bus station not far away. I turn and look at Eli’s bag again. It’s then that I realize that I’m only in a t-shirt. A huge t-shirt that smells like Eli.

‘Maia, do you think Eli got us out of there? Do you think it’s his mark?’

Just as I’m thinking it, the p