I stretched on the bed with a loud yawn, limbs aching from too much rest, and tried to get my bearings. "Hell yeah," I muttered groggily, stretching out my neck to look out the window. My body still felt warm from the blankets, but the world outside was soaked in a heavy darkness. After eating my breakfast earlier, I had drifted off again, lulled into sleep by the quiet around me—but now, it was dark, already midnight. The kind of darkness that clung to the forest like a predator in wait.
Rubbing my eyes, I flopped back on the bed. The sheets smelled like lavender, faint but comforting. Smothering another yawn, I pulled the blanket tighter and got comfortable again. My skin felt clammy, slightly damp with sweat, and my heart held onto that familiar ache the ache of knowing I was still tra
