Alys groans as her consciousness returns. Tentatively, she tries to guess where she is before opening her eyes, but her last memory of being outside in the wheat field with Chance and Jayden, is at odds with the feeling of the soft mattress under her and the familiar warmth of her favorite blanket.
Had she been dreaming only? The Council waiting at her doorstep… the wheatfield battle with Chance and Jayden… the tortured demons clawing their way in to get to Alys…
Was everything that happened that morning when she woke up even real? The demons’ pain certainly felt real enough. She can’t help but feel sympathy for those mindless creatures. They were in so much agony… and as the saying goes, those who are hurting inside usually hurt others because they simply can’t contain their own pain.
