Aria's/Lysara's POV

My eyes stirred awake, and I gnashed my teeth hard, grinding them against my jaw, and groaning as a load of unimaginable pain whacked me. It felt like I was being split open from the inside.

For a while, all I saw was a blur of smeared nothing covering my vision like a veil. Gradually, it cleared, and the world began to make sense before me, and then my gaze fell on him.

He sat just beside my bed as he did before Lucien came for him. His eyes were heavy with concern, ...