IRIS’ P.O.V.
When I came to, the first thing I noticed was the pounding in my skull. The second was that I wasn’t dead. Unfortunately.
I groaned and rolled onto my side, dragging in a slow breath like the air owed me answers. My body ached all over — not in the dramatic, magical overload way. No, this was more like I’d been thrown off a cliff, bounced down every jagged rock, and landed face-first in disappointment.
My nose still burned, and my palms felt like I’d tried to fistfight a lightning bolt.
Excellent.
Progress.
Before I could sit all the way up, the door to the room slammed open.
“Iris!”
Blake rushed in like I’d flatlined — which, to be fair, wasn’t entirely off.
He was at my side in seconds, one hand on my shoulder, the other already checking my pulse like I might slip t
