Athena woke to insistent knocks on her door. Groaning weakly, she let her eyes flutter open, gaze perching on the white ceiling, and then on the door as she cocked her head to the left.
Who was knocking? she wondered as the knock came again, twice in three succession. Whoever it was must have an emergency, she concluded, her mind straining to push away the sleepy clogs swamping it.
Exhaling softly, she stretched like a cat, rolled her shoulders, and stood on her feet. Her eyes found the time on the wall clock—just past six. A furrow marred her brows. An emergency, surely.
And when her mind wheels backtracked to the episodes of yesterday, to the episodes of last night, her heart immediately sank to her stomach, her mind going off in different directions, different projections of bad news.
She reached for the robe by the bed with hurried hands. Has Kael's second gift arrived? Her steps quickened as she moved to the door, pulling it open to see Ewan standing right at the post.
