The world came back in pieces. The first was an aggressive buzzing, sharp and insistent against the wood of the nightstand.
My eyelids felt glued shut. I prised them open, grit crusting my lashes. Kael's arm was a heavy weight around my waist, his skin radiating a warmth I desperately tried to sink into. For one fragile second, I let the lie settle over me. Yesterday was real. We were fixed. We were safe.
Then the phone rang again.
Kael shifted, his body tensing against mine. He fumbled for the device, his voice a low, sleep-ravaged growl. "What?"
Even from my pillow, Ash's voice was a distorted shriek from the speaker. A torrent of profanity, so vicious it was almost artistic.
"Put on the goddamn news! Now!"
Kael moved like a spring uncoiling. He snatched the remote, thumbed the button. The screen flared to life, a sickly blue light washing over us.
My gut twisted, a violent, physical lurch.
Sarah's face dominated the picture.
