Page 252 of Midnights
Slowly, I manage to pry my eyes open, and it feels like a goddamn marathon.
Everything around me is blurry, the edges softened by sleep or… whatever the hell this is. I blink a few times, trying to clear my vision, and sunlight spills through the window, flooding the room.
For a second, I wonder if the rain was just a dream. The rhythmic drumming on the glass is gone, and the only thing left is a suffocating silence that feels too loud.
Another blink, and the ache hits deep enough that it feels like it's chewing through my bones. My body's wrecked, like it got steamrolled and then ran back over just for fun. Every muscle screams when I try to move, but I try anyway.
“Raven!” Cam's voice slices through the room, yanking me out of my haze.
He appears in a blur, looking like a walking anxiety attack. His brows are drawn so tight I’m surprised they haven’t fused into a permanent unibrow.
“You’re awake.” Relief flashes across his face for half a second before he leans down and pulls me into a quick, painful hug. The kind that saysthank God you’re not dead.He pulls back and plops down beside me, resting his hand lightly on mine, but he's looking at me like he’s worried I might bolt or dissolve into a pile of dust.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that telling a girl to calm down is a bad idea?” I croak out. My throat is so dry it feels like I’ve swallowed sandpaper. “What… happened?”
Cam lets out a breath, and a humorless chuckle follows after. His shoulders loosen, but barely. “You… lost control. I had to do something. I'm sorry, but it was the only way to keep you safe.” His gaze flicks down to where his hand still rests over mine before he meets my eyes again. Something unspoken hovers in the air, and I can feel it crawling under my skin. “You’ve been out for… a bit.”
“How long isa bit?” I already know I’m not going to like the answer.
“Three days.”
“Threedays?” The words hit me like a brick to the chest and panic claws at my lungs, making it hard to breathe. “Three days?” I echo, louder this time. My voice cracks as my brain scrambles to make sense of it. I’ve been gone for three whole days?
Adrenaline floods through me and I try to sit up, but my body has other plans. My muscles scream, and before I can get very far, Cam’s hand is there, easing me back down.
“Easy, Raven.” His voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it. Thedon’t mess with mevibe that Cam pulls off way too well.
“Kane,” I blurt out, my panic spinning faster than I can catch it. “He’s going to freak out. I have to call him.” My hands fumble toward the bedside table, searching for my phone, but Cam doesn’t let me get that far.
“Raven, stop.” There’s something in his eyes I can’t read and it only makes me panic more.
“Are you kidding me?” I snap. The frustration and panic claws at my chest. “Three days, Cam. He’s probably losing his shit.”
He clears his throat like he’s bracing for impact. “Kane won’t know you’re gone. I promise.”
I narrow my eyes at him, full of suspicion. “What do you mean he won’t know?”
What the fuck is going on here and where the hell am I?
He hesitates for a second too long, and I don’t like it. “Time doesn’t work the same over here as it does over there.”
I blink at him. “Time doesn’t… what? Seriously? That’s your explanation?Time doesn’t work the same?”
He shrugs like this is no big deal, liketimedifferencesare just part of the daily grind. “It’s true,” he says with an annoyingly even tone.
I want to slap at him and demand answers, but my body is too wrung out to do more than glare. “You better start explaining,” I rasp. “Because I swearto God, if you’re about to give me more vague cryptic shit,I’m not in the mood.”
His lips twitch like he wants to smile, but the concern in his eyes doesn’t budge. He squeezes my hand gently. “There's a lot we need to cover,” he says carefully. “A lot you need to understand.”
He pauses, scanning my face like he’s already testing the limits. And yeah…those limits are paper thin.
“But right now, you need to rest. Your body’s been through more than it's used to. You pushed your magic way too hard, and it took a toll. Burnout like this isn’t uncommon when someone’s starting to tap into their abilities.”
“Burnout?” I repeat. Great. Magical burnout. Just what I needed on my bingo card of insanity.
“Magic is demanding. Think of it like using a muscle you’ve never worked out before, it takes time to strengthen. Push too hard, and you’ll only hurt yourself.”
I nod slowly as his words wash over me and exhaustion pulls at my limbs. “So… no one knows I’m gone?” My voice is shaky, caught between relief and unease. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm so tired. I can't think about that right now.
