Jade woke up to silence, the kind of silence that wrapped around her like a blanket and made her bedroom walls seem as though they were closing in. The ceiling above her came into view in fragments, blurred at first, then sharpening gradually. Yes, she was back in her bedroom, and something felt wrong. The sleep had felt too long.
She blinked once, twice, and her body confirmed what she had suspected. There was a weight on her limbs, yet no pain. Clearly, it was too heavy for her to lift. Jade wasn't sure if it had been a dream or if it was real, but she had heard people's voices talking over her. She could have sworn that Stella and Van's voices were the ones she heard most, but that was not all.
"Ivan is responsible."
The voice was still there, and it made Jade's body run cold for a second. Her fingers tightened against the blanket and her breath hitched. "Stop," she whispered. "Just stop this madness, for crying out loud."
