"I'm sorry..." she sobbed, her voice reduced to a broken, panicked whisper. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
Instead of pushing her away, a thick, heavy arm wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her flush against him in a firm, solid embrace. Lunara collapsed into the hug, the bitter chill of her pale skin pressed directly against the scorching, radiant heat of his blood-red flesh.
"You forgot, Princess," Leiko murmured down at her, his deep voice vibrating against her cheek. "I am no weak mortal. Such wounds are merely an inconvenience to me."
"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen..." Lunara whispered into his chest, her strength completely gone as tears soaked into his armor. "We were supposed to settle all of this with a peace talk... a peace talk led by me... as we looked forward to a brighter, better future..."
