Damon’s POV

The first thing I noticed was pain. A deep, dragging ache that throbbed through every part of me. Then came the scent ... smoke, ash, and the faint whiff of lavender. Aria.

I slowly opened my eyes to a gentle blur of light, finding myself in the healer’s cosy room. The ceiling above was made of whitewashed stone, softly glowing from the herbs warming in the brazier. My chest was rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths, with each inhale feeling like a fiery sting, and ...