Kingdom of Ash

healed over inch by inch.
Aedion murmured something to Ren, and
withdrew his hand. She wondered if they were
his first words in hours.
Aedion turned toward her then, blinking.
Hollowed out. Gutted. Exhausted and grieving
and bearing a weight she couldn’t stand to see.
Even Aedion’s usual stalking gait was
barely more than a trudge.
She followed him out, glancing back only
once to where Ren still knelt, head bowed.
Such terrible silence around him.
Lysandra kept pace beside Aedion as he
turned toward the dining hall. At this hour,
food would be scarce, but she’d find it. For
both of them. Would go hunting if she needed
to.
She opened her mouth to tell Aedion just
that.
But tears slid down his face, cutting