>>Aelin
I stared at her
At Asha.
She stood near the pillar, half-hidden in its shadow, her small hands clasped nervously in front of her. Her violet eyes flicked up to meet mine, shy and uncertain, and in that brief connection, something shattered inside me.
My breath caught in my throat.
She was exactly how I looked when I was young. Her soft silky hair, the gentle curve of her cheeks, the small nervous tilt of her head when she didn't know whether to smile or stay still.
"Asha…" I whispered, barely audible.
I turned sharply toward Tala, my voice shaking. "H-How is this possible? How is she here?"
Tala didn't look surprised. Instead, he gave me a soft, knowing smile and raised one hand to gesture around us—at the glowing skies, the ethereal towers, the strange silence that was filled with presence.
