Chapter 36: Awake
The first thing Salvatore registered when he woke up was the weight of exhaustion still clinging to his body, like chains holding him down. His head throbbed, his limbs ached, and for a brief moment, disorientation clouded his mind. He wasn’t sure where he was—until he saw her.
Cielle.
She was curled up on a small couch near his bed, asleep in the most uncomfortable position imaginable. One leg was half-draped over the armrest, her other knee tucked awkwardly beneath her, and her head rested at an angle that would surely leave her neck sore when she woke up.
Salvatore sighed, shaking his head.
Carefully, he climbed out of bed, wincing as his body protested the movement. His muscles felt stiff, bruised from whatever hell he had been through. Ignoring the pain, he grab
