Petal's POV

The next morning came with pain as my first companion. Not the sharp sting of cuts or the fiery burn of broken skin, but the dull, deep ache of muscles pushed to their limit and beyond. My body felt heavy, weighted down by every strike Aslaan had delivered the night before.

I lay on the narrow cot, staring up at the timber beams of the ceiling, fighting the urge to sink into despair. Last night had been brutal. He hadn’t gone easy on me, not once. Each time I’d thought I ...