The next morning didn't start with a royal fanfare or a grand proclamation. It started with a wet, sticky slap to the face.
I groaned, peeling my eyes open to find Raiden sitting on my chest, looking immensely proud of himself. He had managed to crawl over the 'mountain' of my husband's sleeping tail and was currently trying to see if my nose was detachable.
"Raiden... no," I croaked, my voice still a shredded wreck from the night before.
Beside me, Damar stirred, and then his eyes snapped open—bright, emerald, and instantly alert. He didn't look tired at all, despite the marathon he'd run through the night. He looked sated, his skin glowing with a healthy shine that made me feel even more like a crumpled piece of parchment.
Yes, yes, he had been very rejuvenated by our previous night's exercise. No need for nature to rub it in the face.
