She stood on a balcony in her wing of the palace, a balcony that overlooked her personal gardens with their tall date palms and red hibiscus. Swans floated, carefree, below her in the blue waters of the spring-fed lake. The fragrance of frangipani drifted up to where she stood, and as the warm air rose, a hummingbird, his feathers an exquisite luminescent green in the sunlight, appeared before her. He hovered there, tiny wings beating so fast she couldn’t distinguish individual beats. The bird’s wings seemed to be keeping time to the rapid beat of her heart. “Lira, wake up. It’s time to go.” She recognized the voice, it was Tanner. “Lira, sweetheart, wake up, we need to get moving.” Yes, get moving. Seems like a good idea. Except I don’t think I can move. Lira heard someone groan, and she realized it was her. You are not a baby, and you will not be sick. Open your damn eyes. She did. Tanner’s face loomed over hers. He seemed a bit blurred about the edges. Lira mustered a smile.
