Aiden emerged violently from the dark silence, slamming face first into a bed of scorching sand. He gasped for breath in the sudden heat, blinking against the glare of full daylight. His chest protested, lungs squeezing against the moisture theft every intake caused. He forced himself to roll over to relieve the pain of the hard edge of the prize digging into his ribs. His first instinct was to case his surroundings to make sure he was safe, but he was so weak and disoriented he had trouble focusing.
The sudden and oppressive heat was more than he was prepared for. Considering everything he had been through in the past two days it was understandable he felt utterly lost and totally alone. Not to mention the fact he was out of his element. His parents had prepared him for the city, for tec
