Chapter 4I sat upright and dry-eyed in bed, watching the fire burn down to nothing. The room grew chilly, and the sky inched toward dawn. I slipped my hands in and out of my red mittens, and did not sleep.
As the stars began to fade, a blue radiance rose from the stairwell. I watched it without much interest. It was Elaysius, of course. He settled onto the bed with me, leaning against my leg with his wings drooping.
“I’m sorry, Elaysius,” I whispered. “I know how you long to go home. But as unpleasant as he is, he does not deserve to die.”
“On that subject our opinions may differ,” he said, “yet I cannot argue with thy choice.”
“I only wish my choice did not enforce itself upon us all.” I looked at him, blinked. “Elaysius!”
“Milady?”
“You had gone through—you were already across the
