A Mother's Unknowing Welcome and a Bookseller's Guiding Hand

I woke with a start, my heart racing and sweat coating my skin. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, the bed too soft. Then it all came rushing back—the escape, the violence, Willow finding me.

"You okay?" Willow's voice came from the doorway. She stood there in pajamas, hair sticking up at odd angles, concern etched across her face.

"Bad dream," I managed, pushing myself up. My body ached less than yesterday, which was a good sign. Without my Grey healing abilities working at full capacity, I'd have to recover the human way—slowly and painfully.

"Want to talk about it?" She moved into the room, perching on the edge of the bed.

I shook my head. How could I explain the nightmare? The image of my bonds trapped behind a wall of black glass, pounding to get out while I screamed their names? Or worse, the terrifying vision of Victor finding me here, alone and vulnerable?