Aiden emerged violently from the dark silence, slamming face first into a bed of scorching sand. He gasped for breath in the sudden heat, blinking against the glare of full daylight. His chest protested, lungs squeezing against the moisture theft every intake caused. He forced himself to roll over to relieve the pain of the hard edge of the prize digging into his ribs. His first instinct was to case his surroundings to make sure he was safe, but he was so weak and disoriented he ...