Chapter 196

Groaning, Elodie pushed herself to her feet, her body protesting with a chorus of aches and pains. A few bumps and bruises were a picnic compared to the watery grave that could have awaited her. Small blessings, she thought wryly, wincing as she gingerly tested her weight. She brushed sand off her tattered pants. Survival mode kicked in, sharp and primal. She had to get her bearings, figure out a plan. ‘Okay, Elodie,’ she muttered to herself, a pep talk for one. ‘Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, check. Panicked screaming for no reason, hopefully not checked.’ Most islands in this region were tourist hotspots, teeming with sunbathers and overpriced cocktails. Surely, a yacht or a pleasure boat would come cruising by any minute. All she had to do was wait, right? As she straightened up, a wave of nausea washed over her, quickly followed by a searing dryness in her throat. Right. Waiting. Easier said than done when dehydration was threatening to turn her brain into a deflated whoopie cushion