Alina's lashes trembled before they fully lifted.
Her head felt heavy, a dull ache pulsing behind her temples as if someone had wrapped her thoughts in thick cotton. For a moment she did not move, did not remember, did not understand anything except the strange softness beneath her cheek.
There was fabric against her face.
Her fingers rose instinctively, brushing over smooth silk. She pulled it away quickly and sat upright at once, her body moving before her mind caught up.
Then everything rushed back.
The darkness in her home.
Calling his name.
The dizziness that swallowed her whole.
Her heart began pounding violently against her ribs, each beat hammering like a warning drum.
She looked around sharply, her eyes wide and searching.
