Chapter 157

Avery

I woke to softness—clean linens, the scent of lavender, and underneath it all, the steady presence of someone watching over me. My body felt like it had been wrung out and left to dry, every muscle aching in protest as I tried to sit up.

"Easy." Cleo's gentle hand pressed against my shoulder, easing me back down. "You've been asleep for nearly a full day. Your body needed the rest."

A full d