Elowen's POV
I woke up with a splitting headache. My memory was in fragments. I sat up slowly, slipped on my shoes, and stepped out of the room.
The living room was empty. I knocked twice on his bedroom door. No answer. I checked the study. Nothing, the chair pushed in and the surface bare.
Was last night some illusion? He hadn't come back?
I opened the fridge looking for water and stopped. The cake was inside, nearly untouched, except for a small dent pressed into the frosting near the edge. Instinctively I touched my cheek, and the memory of that cool greasy sensation from the dark came back all at once.
I gasped and stepped back, closed the fridge, and turned around. On the sofa the crumpled gift bag sat where I had left it, the scarf still folded in tissue paper inside.
My phone
