The early morning sun cut a sharp, golden line across our bed, but I didn't need the light to wake me. I had been conscious for an hour, simply lying still beneath the heavy furs, listening to the rhythmic, comforting thump of Demetrius’s heartbeat against my back.
My head still felt heavy and groggy, a lingering fog clouding my thoughts, but the sharp, piercing pain from yesterday was finally gone. I let out a slow breath, testing my limbs. I felt incredibly drained, as if my muscles had been replaced with lead, but the stubborn voice in my head insisted it was time to move. Sam had already delayed the candidates a full day for me. I couldn't let them—or the orphanage children—wait any longer.
Steeling my resolve, I slowly peeled back the thick furs. I threw my legs over the edge of the
