Chapter 329

AURELIA’S POV My head felt heavy — like I’d been asleep for days. The world returned slowly, in fragments. The faint hum of morning outside the window, the smell of rain on earth, the crackle of a dying fire somewhere in the room. My limbs ached, but not like pain — like something had been drained out of me. I blinked, forcing my vision to focus. The first thing I saw was a tray of food sitting at the foot of my bed. Cold now. A half-eaten slice of bread, untouched stew, and next to it— My breath caught. Derek. Asleep. In a chair. His head was tipped back, his jaw tight even in rest, the dark stubble along his cheeks catching the faint morning light. His hand still loosely gripped the edge of the bed, as if even in sleep, he needed to make sure I hadn’t vanished. What the hell is he doing here? I blinked hard, trying to piece everything together. The last thing I remembered was the conversation between Derek and Kael, the confrontation, the shadows— The shadows. My body stiffened. The