Athena tried to open her eyes, hearing murmurs around her, but her eyelids felt heavy, her brain fuzzy, unable to process the sounds. The words buzzed like bees—uncomfortable and disorienting.
She wished she could tell whoever it was to stop talking, but her tongue felt heavy too. What medication had they given her?
She inhaled softly at first, then exhaled just the same, needing to reorient herself before taking deep breaths.
She tried to remember the circumstances that had led her to feel like dead weight. Slowly, she began retracing her steps—from having dinner at Old Mr. Thorne's house to going on the mission. And then the floodgates opened, memories pouring and tumbling over one another.
Athena inhaled sharply when she remembered overhearing Heron and Dax talk about her. It wasn't an illusion. It had actually happened!
