The sunlight crept in through the cracks of the window, slicing across my face like thin blades of fire. It was morning but it didn't feel like it. My body was heavy, my mind foggy, as though I'd been trapped in a storm all night.
For a moment, I didn't remember where I was. Then I saw the small wooden dresser, the peeling wall, and Joan's folded blanket in the corner. The omega's quarter. Safe. Or at least… safer than his room.
I sat up slowly, my head pounding. Every muscle ached. My skin felt oddly sensitive, as if it had been touched pressed by something I couldn't remember.
"Elie?" Joan's voice came softly from across the room. She was already awake, brushing her hair. When she saw me stir, she set the brush down and frowned. "You look like you didn't sleep at all."
I tried to force a smile. "I didn't."
"Another nightmare?"
I didn't answer. I didn't need to. The look in her eyes said she already knew.
