Aire had not left Alaric's side since he woke.
Well, he had not exactly woken up. His body had returned to the world, his heart was beating, and his chest rose and fell beneath the blanket.
He could breathe on his own now. But his eyes remained closed.
And somehow, that was enough for Aire.
She sat beside him on the bed, her back against the headboard, while Alaric rested beside her.
The room was quiet.
The candles burned softly along the walls, their flames trembling whenever the wind slipped through the slightly open window.
Aire had asked for it to remain open.
She didn't know why. Perhaps she simply needed to hear something other than silence.
Her silver hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back.
It no longer glowed. Its strange light had disappeared after the moment Alaric's heart began beating again.
Her hair had returned to its normal silver.
Her skin had returned to its normal color. Even her eyes looked the same. But Aire did not feel the same.
