Aria's POV

Pain was the first thing I noticed. It wasn't sharp or sudden, but deep and never-ending...like fire slowly moving through my veins, or the earth itself eager to tear me apart.

I tried to move, but my body just wouldn't cooperate. My breath was heavy and shaky, with each inhale feeling like it scraped my throat. I could hear voices shouting in the distance ... Damon's voice, full of urgency and command. But through it all, the only sound I could really focus on was the steady ...