Chapter 42: The Reckoning
(Nova POV)
I woke up slowly, like surfacing from deep water.
The first thing I noticed was the smell—cedar, smoke, and something darker, like old books and storm air. Then the sheets: black, soft, expensive, cooler than my own dorm bedding. My neck throbbed where the knife had kissed skin, a dull ache that sharpened when I swallowed. My wrists were raw, rope burns stinging under fresh bandages.
Damien's bed.
I was in his bed.
The realization hit me like cold water. I tried to sit up too fast—pain lanced through my head, vision swimming. I hissed, gripping the edge of the mattress.
The door opened before I could fully catch my breath.
He stepped in.
Damien.
