Chapter 84. The Healer’s Secret

Lotus’s POV

Something’s wrong the moment I wake. The room spins before my eyes even open. My stomach lurches, a slow roll that builds until I barely make it to the bathroom. The cold tile presses against my knees as I lean over the toilet, gasping for breath. Vomit spews from my lips, making my throat burn and my eyes water. Each wretch is more violent than the last, and I don’t think it will ever end.

When there is nothing left in my stomach to come up, I sit back, resting my palm against my forehead, checking for a fever, but there is none.

For a few seconds, I think it’s just exhaustion, the kind that seeps into your bones after too many sleepless nights. But then the wave hits again, sharp and sudden, leaving me trembling and empty. When it finally passes, I rise to my feet, grip the counter, and stare at my reflection.

Pale skin. Shadowed eyes. A faint shimmer beneath the surface of my throat, like something flickering behind the glass.

I cl