"I know," Nicholas said gently. "I feel it. Through the bonds. Your grief. Your guilt. Your desperate wish that things had gone differently."
"I should have refused the resurrection," Lilith said. "I should have...."
"Don't," Nicholas interrupted firmly. "Don't dishonor my choice by wishing you'd stayed dead. I knew what I was doing. I chose willingly. And Lilith, I'm not suffering here. I'm not in pain. I'm okay."
"How can you be okay?" Lilith demanded. "You're trapped there. Consumed by an ancient entity. Separated from everyone you love."
"I'm connected to everyone I love through the bonds," Nicholas corrected. "I feel Sebastian and Lucian every day. I feel you. I watch over all of you. And yes, I wish I could be there physically. But this...." He gestured at the grey expanse. "This isn't torture. It's just...different. A different kind of existence."
