It wasn't the birds that woke her, though a few hardy mountain larks were certainly making a noise outside, but rather the sudden, jarring absence of a heartbeat against her ear.
Verona bolted upright. Her heart did a frantic, painful somersault in her ribs. For a terrifying, hazy second, she was back in the grove, the air tasting of ozone and blood, watching a nightmare of shadow and gold tear through the world before looking up and seeing Elric's face so close to her.
"You're awake. Oh, thank the stars, you're actually awake," she breathed, the words tumbling out in a messy, incoherent rush. She didn't wait for him to speak. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck, squeezing so hard her own arms ached. She needed to feel the solid, stubborn reality of him. She needed to know he hadn't dissolved into the shadows.
But Elric was a wall of ice.
