I sat up, sweat-drenched. My appendix had been spared, but my entire right side felt like I'd been rammed by a bull. I took a moment to check myself for the complex magic that the Gigis had brought into being, but I was in the clear. Nor had I suffered from the headaches that had been a precursor to Rafael's change. Either I'd been lucky or my powers had withstood the effects. I forced myself upright, choosing not to question this stroke of good fortune, and hobbled outside, every step ...