Blinking my eyes open, I’m once again surprised to find myself still alive. In fact, I almost feel… better? I lift my limbs, surprised to find that I still can, and it’s so much easier than it was when Nina was putting that needle into my IV tube and – Fear floods through me at the thought, and I jerk upright. A man at my bedside quickly steps in, guiding me back down onto the mattress. “Easy,” he says. “Don’t hurt yourself further.” Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I recognize the man as the King’s Beta, Tristan. He’s standing at my bedside, frowning down at me as a teacher would a petulant child. We aren’t alone in the room. An armed guard stands near the door, looking more alert than bored, like he’s on the job here. Is he on the job here? I have no idea the details, but for me t