Chapter 77 Traces Of Fear

• Ariana woke before dawn, curled up in the warmth of Damien’s arms. The light filtering through the window was still grey, painting the room in muted hues. She lay still for a moment, listening to the rhythm of his breathing. Steady. Deep. Like an anchor in a storm she hadn’t even realized she was still caught in.
• But her heart wasn’t still.
• There was a heaviness in her chest. Something unspoken pressing against her ribs. A dream maybe. Or a memory that had followed her into the waking world.