"She's really gone, isn't she?"
Theron's voice cut through the hushed conversations in our chambers, and I wanted to scream. Wanted to tear apart the illusion and show him I knew exactly what he was. But I stayed perfectly still, letting Elena's magic hold me in false death while I watched my betrayer through the strange, detached awareness the spell provided.
"Yes," Kael said, and the rawness in his voice was only partly an act. "She's gone. The healers said there was nothing they could do. The magical strain from the binding, combined with everything else, it was too much for her body."
"And the baby?" Theron moved closer to where I lay on the bed. Through Elena's magic, I could sense his emotions, taste them like bitter ash. Relief. Satisfaction. A hint of guilt buried under layers of justification.
"Dead as well." Kael's hand found mine, squeezing once. Our signal. He'd noticed something too. "They died together. At least Elara didn't have to face losing the child."
