Nora's POV
I wake with my throat feeling like sandpaper and a sharp ache spreading across my chest that intensifies with each breath. Mack lies sprawled beside me, his small cat form somehow managing to claim half the bed.
The bedroom doors stand wide open, and I can hear James's voice drifting up from downstairs as he speaks with someone. The house sits in shadow, leaving me completely disoriented about the time. My body feels like I've been asleep for both minutes and days simultaneously.
After using the bathroom, my reflection in the mirror stops me cold. My eyes are streaked with red like I spent the evening drowning in whiskey, while deep purple shadows create harsh crescents beneath them. The demon I destroyed last night must have drained more of my energy than I realized. I pull on some underwear and slip into a t-shirt dress before heading downstairs to find James.
