Briar
Consciousness returned slowly, like swimming through molasses. The first thing I became aware of was pain - every inch of my body ached as if I'd been tossed in a blender. Then came the sensations: rough stone beneath my cheek, the gentle lapping of water at my feet, the warmth of sunlight on my back.
I groaned, forcing my eyes open. The world swam into focus - I was lying on a small, rocky beach, the river that had nearly claimed my life flowing peacefully a few feet away. The sun was high in the sky, indicating I'd been unconscious for several hours.
"We're alive," Ivy's voice echoed in my head, sounding as stunned as I felt. "I can't believe we survived that."
"I have no idea," I croaked, my voice raw from swallowing half the river.
I pushed myself up onto my elbows, wincing
