I woke up slowly.
The light was gone. The ridge, the Moon, the surge of power had all vanished. My head throbbed. My body felt like it didn’t belong to me. My hands itched, heavy and restless. Vexa stirred under my skin. But there was something else. Something unfamiliar. Something overlapping. A shadow of power that wasn’t entirely mine.
The room smelled of wood and candle smoke. The sun hadn’t risen yet. Everything was still. Too still. Too quiet.
Talon sat by the side of the bed. His hands rested on his knees, his posture stiff but calm. He didn’t move when I blinked awake. He just watched. I tried to speak. My mouth opened but no words came out.
“You’re awake.” He said softly. His voice was steady, grounding. “You’ve been out… a long time.”
I swallowed, trying to force my head to
