Chapter 78
Ella
Nikolai followed me all the way back to the room I shared with him and Aidan. He didn’t say a word, but his presence was impossible to ignore. It was like a shadow looming over me, constant and suffocating.
I wanted to tell him to leave, to just let me be alone, but I was too drained to argue. My body ached from today’s fights, and my mind was just as exhausted. The shame of my loss clung to me like a second skin, and the last thing I needed was Nikolai hovering like some silent protector.
When I reached the room, I shoved the door open with more force than necessary and stepped inside. Aidan was already there, sitting on his bed with one arm propped up behind his head. His sharp gaze flicked between me and Nikolai.
“He is upset,” Nikolai said simply.
Aidan ra
