A soft, breathless sob escaped Elara's lips as she stepped fully out from under the shadow of the stone archway. She didn't wait for a formal invitation. Her embroidered silk slippers practically flew across the lush, dew-damp moss as she crossed the sanctuary, her pale blue traveling cloak billowing behind her like a fallen sky.
"Seraphina!" Elara cried out, her voice cracking with an overwhelming mixture of sheer relief and awe.
I scrambled off Draven's waist, stepping onto the soft grass just in time to catch Elara as she threw her arms around my neck. The impact almost knocked me back, but I held her tight, wrapping my arms around her trembling shoulders. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, weeping openly, her hot tears soaking into the fabric of my gown.
