Slowly, shakily, Alicia pushed herself up onto her elbows. Every muscle screamed, her arms trembling beneath her weight as if she had just dragged herself through battle. She reached out to crawl toward the nearest balcony beam for support, but the moment her palm pressed to the floor, a sharp gasp tore from her lips. Something rough and solid shifted beneath her hand.
Her vision blurred too much to make it out. Blinking hard, she squinted, but the shapes wavered and swam before her eyes. Her head pounded, dull at first but building with every beat of her heart, a pulsing ache that dragged the world into haze.
