Alaric's POV
I woke up with the room tilting, just slightly, like the floor had decided to breathe on its own.
I blinked hard, waiting for it to settle. It took longer than it should have. The edges of everything stayed soft, blurred, like I was looking at my own quarters through a layer of fog that had somehow crept in overnight.
"Bad night's sleep," I muttered to the empty room, but I didn't believe it even as I said it.
I sat up slow, testing my balance before trusting my legs with the rest of my weight. The dizziness eased some once I was upright, but it didn't disappear completely, sitting low in my skull like something waiting for the chance to come back stronger.
I splashed water on my face, cold enough to shock some clarity back into me, and told myself that was that. Long nig
