Olivia Martins

The first thing I noticed was the softness beneath me, the bed. Familiar. Faintly scented with pine and smoke and something that made my heart squeeze even before I opened my eyes.

Caspian.

But my body was heavy, like I’d sunk into the mattress itself. I blinked slowly, vision hazy, and shapes came into view, the white ceiling… The soft glow of evening light filtering in through a window... and people, blurry outlines, clustered near the foot of the bed.

I turned my head, ...