The voice is deep, distorted, and far away, buried beneath the vicious pounding that pulses in my temples. “Go away,” I whisper. “Please just go away.” I try to cling to the blackness, aware of what will happen if I fully awaken. The nightmare will continue, and there is only one person left who matters-Lev. I’d rather die than go through that loss all over again. “You have to wake up.” The voice is less distorted and closer. Although I still cannot recognize it, I have a feeling it’s Lev. “No. If I wake up, I’ll hurt you.” Suddenly there’s an image of me standing in a white room when Lev appears. He wears white pants, and his shirtless chest glows golden in the bright light. His skin is translucent, ethereal. His wings seem so much taller than I remember, and he holds my hands in his. His expression is cast in a worried frown. Immediately, I try to pull away, terrified of being too close. “Get away from me!” “It’s okay. You can’t hurt me here.” He holds me despite my struggles and pulls me into his embrace.
