I groaned softly as I stirred awake, the dim light in the room gradually sharpening into focus. My head throbbed like a blacksmith hammering on a bellows. Blinking a few times, I tried to piece together my surroundings. This wasn’t my room, but somehow, it felt oddly familiar, like a half-remembered dream from long ago.

Before I could fully wrap my head around it, Zion swooped in like a guardian angel—or maybe just a concerned friend with a penchant for drama. His familiar warmth ...