Eira had been speaking directly inside his mind when it did— she was talking something about Marcus, Danton and the Heavenchilds. Phei had been listening one moment, perhaps preparing another reply when everything became blank in his mind.
Phei stared through another man's eyes at a face he did not know and felt something inside him twist with such quiet pain that his thoughts simply stopped.
He did not notice the tear either as it slipped in his one eye— the warm droplet escaped from the corner of his right eye and travelled slowly down his cheek while he floated beneath billions of stars, surrounded by enough sacred radiance to turn an entire island golden.
Phei remained there without understanding why his chest suddenly felt heavy before he eventually opened his eyes.
The tear had vanished beneath the white-gold light before he ever felt it against his skin.
He blinked once, faint confusion passing through his face as the strange ache lingered beneath his ribs.
