Aliyah's POV

The first thing I felt was warmth. Not the comforting kind that reminded me of safety, but the heavy, feverish heat that clung to my skin and made it hard to breathe. My head, ached as if it had been split in two, and every muscle in my body screamed in protest.

Something beeped beside me. The steady rhythm echoed in my ears like a drum. Slowly, painfully, I forced my eyes open. The world swam in and out of focus, bright white lights stabbing through my blurred vision. For a ...