Evelyn's POV
My head felt like it was being hammered in slow, steady strokes as I woke up.
The evening light stabbed through the shutters and made everything too bright, the world wavered at the edges. I blinked and tried to make sense of the room, a narrow bed, rough wooden stool, herbs drying on a line. My throat was like a desert. My limbs were too heavy to lift. For a breathless moment I had no idea who I was or where "here" was.
A soft, practiced voice broke the fog.
"You're finally awake."
An old woman with a wrinkleed face, but with eyes that still flashed quick and alive, sat on the stool and folded her hands around something wrapped in cloth. Relief softened her features when she saw me focus. She smiled, as she looked at me.
"What…. happened?" My voice was a ragged croak. "Where am I?"
She cocked her head. "You don't remember?" Her tone was gentle but not indulgent. "You were brought in unconscious after drinking a sip of the Night Wine."
