••{RHIANNON'S POV}••
I can't believe my eyes.
For a heartbeat, I'm sure my mind is breaking under the weight of everything that just happened.
The fire. The screams. The smell of burning flesh and the metallic scent of blood still clinging to the air. Azrael bleeding out in my arms.
Frantically, I blink once, twice, three times, convinced this has to be a cruel trick of my mind.
But she's still there.
Standing a few steps away from us.
"Nayeesha?" I pant, my voice coming out thin and disbelieving. "How are you… you—you're awake."
She sways where she stands, like the ground beneath her can't quite decide if it wants to hold her. Her face is pale, sweat clinging to her skin, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. She takes a step toward me, then another, each one unsteady. By the time she reaches us, her knees give out and she drops to the ground in front of Azrael.
I clutch her shoulder before she can fall forward completely, forcing her to look at me.
