Soft fingers caress my cheek, their action stirring me from my sleep as throbbing pain radiates through my face. I feel no electricity from this touch. It’s not my Chris touching me.
Despair and disgust swirl inside me. As I start to wake up, I try once again to reach out through my link to Chris, but there’s nothing there. It hurts, not just my heart but my very soul. Chris and I haven’t been apart for more than a few hours since we met. To be this far away from him is unbearable.
“Time to wake up, my love. We’re home,” I hear the Emperor’s voice gently whisper. I know which home he means, and it’s not the one I want.
I slowly manage to open my eyes, now aware of the painful throbbing in my face and head. I can tell my cheek is swollen; my cheekbone is definitely broken.
I slept t
