Candace
"You have to get well soon, Princess. There's so much work to do."
The voice sounded impossibly far away and no matter how hard I reached for it or how hard I tried to place where I'd heard it before, it slipped right through my grasp.
When I finally managed to pry open my heavy eyelids the room was empty except for Cookie, who immediately pressed her wet nose against my cheek and barked excitedly.
The deep ache throughout my body had faded to a dull throb and my throat was still raw and my lungs still burned faintly with every breath but I was alive and compared to the last time I'd been conscious I felt considerably better.
I released a slow breath and tried to sit up and my arms trembled beneath the effort. The door opened and Bree rushed inside. "My lady!"
