GoodreadsSynopsis:What if the next new drug was you? Raleigh’s body produces a drug that could define the future of medicine if the dangerous world surrounding it doesn’t kill her first.
Eighteen-year old Raleigh Groves can sense disease in others and is suffering from her own unexplained illness as well. After years and dozens of doctor visits, she has given up hope of ever finding a cure, let alone a diagnosis. Then she meets a man who explains that her talent and curse are linked. Her body produces a drug, Lucidin, which allows her to sense others. She’s rare, and the drug she makes is coveted.
Rho has spent the last few years on the run. The Lucidin that is racing through his system makes him a target. Surrounded by addicts and dealers on one side and scientists and doctors on the other, he has to rely on his wits and his team to stay one step ahead. So far he has stayed afloat, but some of his brothers haven’t been as lucky.
As Rho and Raleigh collide they must face the perilous world of Lucidin together. Nothing is black-and-white and Raleigh must decide where her alliances lie. Sometimes the hardest heart to sense is your own.
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EXCERPT:
Rho took a long breath and sighed with relief. Unlike most
prisons, his had no bars or locked gates.
The drugs and fatigue were enough to trap
him in his own body—but not for much longer. He would make his escape today.
His captors were unlikely to lower the extraction and sedative dose any more
than they just had, so he had to make his move. He would do it tonight, when
the second team came to check on him.
Today was the first day in a long time that he was aware of
each and every moment. He darted his eyes across the room. A small seagull was
preening itself on the windowsill. One of the guards had once asked why there
weren’t bars on the window. The answer was that the drop would likely kill Rho,
and even if he survived the current would pull him under. Occasionally he’d
heard people speaking in French, and he figured that he must be somewhere along
the French coast.
Knowing that he could die while making his escape, he
savored the hours. Part of him wanted to reflect on his life, but he pushed those
thoughts out of his mind as soon as they arose. Those thoughts too closely resembled
grieving, and he wasn’t about to grieve the life that he was fighting to save….
The sunset was particularly beautiful. Mauve and azure hues playfully
painted his room, as though Mother Nature wasn’t aware of the suffering he
endured. Maybe she was aware of his suffering—and glad to see it. After all, he
was an affront to her.
Rho heard voices as the evening pair opened the door to his
room. Of all the teams, Rho was most familiar with this one. These two talked
the most, and the young man had once taken a phone call in the room, but he was
swiftly reprimanded by the old man. The young, unsure little attendant asked a lot
of questions, and although the old man seemed to be aggravated by his
companion’s inquires, he always answered.
“The morning crew said he was doing poorly,” the old man
said in a sure, deep voice.
“They turned down the machine again. He’s not giving us as
much Lucid,” noted the young man as he retrieved the vials.
“From the look of his vitals, he’ll only last a few more
days.”
“He’s going to die, isn’t he?” asked the young man. Despite
his current job, he wasn’t the heartless kind.
“The world will be better off. He’s dangerous. They’re
monsters…all of them. Don’t let his angelic looks fool you. He’s the devil.”
Rho wasn’t sure if the last part was true, but the part
about him being dangerous certainly was.
