Avery's POV
I opened my eyes to a ceiling I couldn't place. It was a blur of spinning white. Every time I tried to blink, my eyelids felt like they were glued shut.
The memory hit me all at once—Kael, blood, the feeling of dying. For one terrible second, I thought I was still bleeding out on the larder floor.
I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain ripped through my stomach. I sucked in a deep breath.
“Shh, easy. You’re safe.”
The voice was muffled, and I tried to force my eyes open. Opening them required more strength than my body possessed, but slowly and painfully, my eyes parted.
The harsh brightness from the light burned and flooded my vision, but through the squinting, a familiar face slowly swam into focus.
Sitting right beside my bed, leaning so close to my shoulder was Lena.
