Book 2 of the 𝕱𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖇 series
{Duology}
𖤓
𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘.
𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚.
𖤓
𝕬𝖈𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖆 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎 got tricked once, but she vowed never to be fooled...
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"Is she breathing?"
"Should we wake her up?"
"She's been out for hours, man!"
"I still can't believe she's alive!"
"Maybe she's a ghost?"
"I checked, she tried to bite my finger!"
Their voices wove together, a frantic murmur above me, buzzing in and out of my fogged mind. Everything felt distant like I was floating just beneath the surface of reality. A dull ache settled over my body, the weight of exhaustion pulling me down.
"All of you, shut up!" Alessandro's voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding. "She's exhausted and dehydrated. Let her fucking sleep, or I'll—"
"Save your threats, I'm up." My voice came out as a hoarse whisper. I blinked, the light stinging my eyes as I slowly adjusted to my surroundings. Everyone was crowded in the room even Drystan, Cassian, Ciro, all of them. It felt like a lifetime since I'd seen them, but here they were. I tried to sit up, but a sting on the back of my hand stopped me. Glancing down, I noticed the IV taped there.
"Thanks," I muttered to Alessandro, grateful but disoriented. "How long was I out?"
"Two hours," he responded, his voice softer now. I nodded, carefully untangling myself from the IV tube, feeling every movement as a reminder of how worn down I was.
Finally, I lifted my head to really look at every one. God, I'd missed them. A deep, gnawing emptiness had been replaced by the warmth of their presence, something I hadn't realized I'd been aching for.
"Can someone speak, please?" My voice cracked, almost pleading.
A sob broke the tension, and before I knew it, Aunt Haley had thrown her arms around me. Her embrace was fierce, desperate like she feared I'd slip away again. I wrapped my arms around her, inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume, grounding myself in it.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl," she whispered between kisses pressed to my head, my forehead, my cheeks, every inch of my face, and I basked in the overwhelming love.
I didn't want to let her go, but Seraphina and the twins practically dragged me from her arms, enveloping me one by one in their own crushing hugs. I laughed through the pressure, feeling more alive with each touch.
"How are you here?" Seraphina's voice cracked, barely holding back her emotions. I wasn't used to seeing her like this—so raw, so vulnerable. Emotional.
"It's a long story," I breathed, the weight of it all heavy on my chest.
"We've got time," Sebastian's voice came from somewhere over Volna's shoulder, his tone steady despite the storm of emotions in the room. I nodded, but my gaze was already locking on the one person I had been desperate to see. Asa.
