I awoke slowly, drawn through the haze of morning grogginess by a gentle touch. The last thing I remembered was sitting with R'lissea. I'd gotten so tired so quickly, beginning with the moment Verity had left my side. I barely felt any better and just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep, but there it was again. A soft, soothing motion that traced the base of my horn.
Blinking awake, I stared up into a pair of brilliant green eyes. They softened, and the hand moved to my cheek.
"You're awake," said R'lissea, in whose lap my head rested.
"No fair," I mumbled, feeling my tail stir. "I wanted to wait for you to wake up. How did it end up like this?"
I tried to sit up, but her hand was too heavy to move. R'lissea sat on the edge of the bed with her feet on the floor. I lay on my side on the soft white sheets facing her, my tail draped over the side and curled around her ankle.
