Chapter 66
Rhydian didn't move for a long moment, his forehead pressed against Seraphina's hand as tears soaked into her skin. His chest heaved, trying to calm the panic still racing through him. He hadn't realized how much the fear of losing her had consumed him until now—until that terrifying silence had stretched on with no sign of life.
Seraphina's hand tightened in his grip, a soft squeeze, and Rhydian's heart skipped. Her voice, weak but there, broke through his haze.
"You... you really were about to lose it, huh?"
Rhydian lifted his head to meet her eyes, his breath hitching again. He said hoarsely, his words raw and unsteady. "I thought I lost you."
She gave him a small, tired smile, her voice strained. "I'm still here, your majesty."
He wiped his face with the back of his hand, the tears still streaking down his face, but he didn't care. She was alive. She was alive, and that was all that mattered.