Chapter 97

• Chapter 97. Loneliness II
• Serena's POV
• I sink back against my bed, biting down hard on my bottom lip as my mind swirls with endless thoughts. Damon went on that rampage because of me. He did all of that just to protect me. The weight of that realization presses down on me, making it hard to breathe. My mind replays the last thing I remember before everything went dark—the brutal wizard's fists landing blow after blow, the sharp, crushing pain radiating through my body, making me feel like my bones are literally being shattered. Each strike sends shockwaves through me, the agony so intense that I almost convince myself that my body won't be able to withstand it. The memory makes me shudder, but when I shift my body slightly, I realize something shocking—every ounce of pain I felt then has completely disappeared. My injuries, the ones that had left me feeling like I was on the brink of death, are gone.