I shook my head. "Right now, all I really want is to sleep."
"We'll try to keep the noise down." Tao squeezed my arm gently, his touch light but comforting. "Yell if you need anything."
"I will. And thanks."
I turned and walked into Stane's bedroom. It was very much like the rest of his apartment—filled with all the latest gadgets, and there was little in the way of dust, despite his claim to the contrary. Which wasn't really surprising—dust could ruin the innards of expensive gadgets, after all, and there were lots of them up here.
I closed the door, shed my clothes, then tucked Amaya under the pillow and climbed into bed. It was big and warm and comfortable, and I was asleep in no time.
The sensation of movement woke me. For a couple of minutes I did nothing more than lie there, dizzy, confused, and feeling oddly transparent. Like my body had somehow disappeared and I was nothing more than particles drifting in the air. When I tried to wake, tried to move, I couldn't do either. But as panic surged, the movement stopped, and suddenly I was full-bodied and fully aware.
I wasn't in Stane's bed.
Not unless it had suddenly turned to cold stone.
No, no, no! It can't be happening again. They can't have taken me again.
I opened my eyes. Realized my fears were all too real.
They had taken me.
The last time I'd been in this place the heavy blanket of darkness had been lifted only by Amaya's lilac flames. This time there were torches on the wall. Why they were there I had no idea, but they sputtered and spat and threw an angry light, as if they had no desire to be in this place.
It was a desire I fully understood.
Because this was the place where the Raziq had torn my molecules apart to place the tracker in my heart.
My heart began to race so fast I could have sworn it was trying to tear out of my chest. But fear wouldn't help me get through this. Truthfully, nothing would. They'd do what they wanted to regardless of what I said or did.