Willow's POV

I woke up to the now-familiar image of Axel in my dreams, the way he looked at me, pleading, as though his very life hung in the balance. It had been like this for days. In every dream, he appeared out of a mist, his hand reaching for mine, his face contorted in pain, his lips forming silent words, words I could never hear. His presence lingered even after I’d awakened, leaving me with a sense of urgency that I couldn’t shake.

I sat up, trying to push his image from my mind ...