She stirred among the sheets before drifting to wakefulness. It took a moment for Alyssa to realize she was not in her bed or the guest bedroom at Tatiana’s palace. The sheets seemed softer than anything she could imagine and sleek. The mattress beneath her was both soft and firm, almost folding around her body. She stirred and braced herself.
Should she not be in pain? Why did she wonder such a thing? And then it came back to her. The war in the air above the Lands of Faery. The last ember in the tree. Her death. The thought made her sit bolt upright, and pain shafted through her body. She cried out, but no sound emerged from her mouth.
Did being dead hurt? She opened her eyes and squinted against the low light in the room. Was this the afterlife? She frowned. No. Her head hurt as she
