Beeping. Steady and rhythmic. That's what I notice first as consciousness creeps back. My eyelids feel impossibly heavy, like they're weighted down with sand. The antiseptic smell hits me next – that unmistakable hospital scent that always makes my stomach twist.
I try to piece together what happened. Kaelen and I were talking. Fighting. About Selene. About what would happen if she was pregnant. Then... nothing.
With monumental effort, I force my eyes open. The hospital room is dimly lit, but even that small amount of light makes my head throb. I blink several times, trying to adjust.
"Seraphina?"
Kaelen's voice comes from beside me, thick with worry. I turn my head slightly, wincing at the dull pain the movement causes. He looks terrible – exhausted, his usually perfect hair disheveled, dark circles under his eyes. And yet, somehow still devastatingly handsome.
"What happened?" I croak, my throat painfully dry.
