Bitterness In Our Hearts

I woke up to the faint sound of my own breathing, my eyes fluttering open.

“Use one more of those angelic marks, Blake, and the price you pay doubles,” Liam warned, his face twisted into a menacing snarl as he loomed over me.

“Liam?” My stomach knotted with surprise. I hadn’t expected to see him again so soon.

I tried to sit up, but my arms gave out beneath me, and I collapsed back onto the bed.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice unsteady as confusion clouded my mind.

The memories came in disjointed fragments: rescuing my mother, stepping through a portal, and then… uncontrollable vomiting. My body had felt like it was being torn apart.

I glanced around, taking in the familiar surroundings. I was back in our bedroom at the mansion, the faint scent of cedar and lavender drifting in the air.

“What happened to me?” I repeated, my voice trembling with unease.