Chapter 32: Pride and Vulnerability
(Scarlett's POV)
The faint hum of drained healing crystals greeted my ears before I even opened my eyes. My body felt heavy, as though the very act of waking up was a monumental task. The soft glow of the den's walls told me I wasn’t in familiar surroundings.
I stirred slightly and instantly regretted it. My head pulsed, and my whole body felt as though I’d just come out of a battle. My golden healing energy flickered pathetically around me like an old candle about to burn out. Weak, unstable, and utterly useless.
“Finally awake,” came Steven’s dry voice.
I blinked, trying to focus on his silhouette sitting beside the bed. His ice-blue eyes stared at me with that infuriating mix of restrained concern and cool discipline, as if he was both a jud
