••{RHIANNON'S POV}••
No one has said a word since the moment we stepped into Azræl's chambers.
Ærella and Seraphine sit on either side of Azræl's bed. Seraphim stands beside his twin sister with his arms folded across his chest. I sit in the chair near the bed, while Nayeesha stands right beside me. Azeria is seated close too, near her aunt.
Seraphim's expression is grave. Harder now than it was outside on the castle grounds. And for the first time since Ærella arrived in Darkholme, her warmth is gone completely. The bright smile she wore before has vanished, replaced by a sadness so deep that she already looks like she's mourning him despite the fact that he is still breathing. Tears glisten in her eyes and slip silently down her cheeks as she stares at him.
Even without anyone saying it out loud, I can see it plainly.
They are deeply affected by what they're seeing.
Ærella is the first to break the silence.
"I didn't know things had gotten this bad."
