One moment Vessara was adrift in the darkness of sleep, and the next, a sharp, brutal stab bloomed low on the left side of her abdomen, ripping her from unconsciousness with the violence of a blade. It came without a warning.
Her eyes flew open. Her hand shot to her belly, pressing against the silk of her nightgown, as if she could physically contain the agony radiating through her core. She tried to breathe through it, drawing shallow, ragged gasps that did nothing to ease the cramping that followed.
It was a deep, clenching vice that squeezed and released, squeezed and released, each wave worse than the last.
"Breathe. Just breathe." Vee stirred at the back of her mind.
But then the nausea rose, swift and merciless. Her hand clamped over her mouth, her body already moving before her mind could catch up, lurching from the bed. She stumbled toward the bathroom, her vision blurring.
