Mae woke with a sharp inhale, her chest rising unevenly as if her lungs had forgotten how to fill with air. The room seemed to pulse around her, a dizzying blur of faces and sounds as her eyes slowly focused. Her body felt heavy, distant, as though she were floating outside of herself. The chill of the room pressed against her skin, but something else, something dark and unfamiliar, lingered in the air.
Around her, the men were in motion. Riven stepped forward first, his hand hovering uncertainly over her as if unsure whether to touch her or keep his distance. Lucien was still sitting beside her, his eyes wide, mouth open in shock as he watched her struggle to breathe. Ashar paced restlessly, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword as he muttered to himself. Sethis had his back to th
