When Nikki finally opened her eyes, the very first thing she saw was the warm, dancing orange light of the cabin fire.
She was lying in her own soft bed. The thick, heavy blankets were pulled all the way up to her chin. The room smelled like dry pine wood and sweet smoke. For just one tiny second, she thought she had been having a bad dream.
But then, she took a breath.
A deep, painful ache rattled inside her chest. Her lungs felt heavy, and her throat burned. The terrible memory of the dark underground bunker, the glowing glass bed, and the bright red blood staining the white snow all came rushing back like a crashing wave. It wasn't a nightmare. It was real.
She slowly turned her head.
Adonis was sitting in a wooden chair right next to the bed. He wasn't moving. He sat as still as a statue, his broad shoulders slumped forward. The bright, beautiful blue light in his eyes was so dim it was almost completely dark. He looked like a king who had lost his entire kingdom.
