Nora's POV
Relief washes over me as I collapse onto the mattress, my eyelids feeling like lead weights. The shower helped wash away the grime and blood, but exhaustion clings to my bones like a second skin.
James settles beside me, his cool hands finding my tense shoulders. The familiar chill of his touch sends shivers through my still-warm skin from the hot water. Every muscle in my body screams for rest, the same bone-deep weariness I felt after wielding hellfire coursing through my veins.
My mind spins with questions I can't answer, doubts that gnaw at the edges of my consciousness. Am I truly just a witch, or is there something more lurking beneath the surface?
A soft moan escapes my lips as James begins working the knots from my shoulders. "God, that's incredible."
My eyes drift closed, head lolling forward as his skilled fingers work their magic on my aching muscles.
"Lie back," his velvet voice commands gently. "Rest now, my love."
