When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that something soft and oddly squishy was beneath me.
For a moment, my half-conscious mind tried to make sense of it. A pillow? Maybe the blanket had bunched up weirdly? Whatever it was, it was warm… really warm. I shifted slightly, my face buried in it, and a faint floral scent drifted up, ink and hyacinth.
Wait.
I blinked, rubbed my dry eyes with the back of my hand, and sat up slowly, my mind still foggy. My eyes stung, my throat felt dry. It was like I'd spent the night crying, no, not like… I had.
And then everything from last night came rushing back.
The goddess.
The meadow.
The three orbs.
That unbearable flood of emotions.
And then… Belle.
My breath hitched slightly. I looked down.
There she was.
