Calithar woke up to the sound of knocking again.
He had lost count of how many times the guards had come to his door in the last two days. But he did not need to count to know it was too many. Ever since he returned from her world, he had remained on the cold floor, leaning against the wall with his wings pulled close to his back as if he could hide inside them. He had not eaten. He had barely slept. His body was divine, but his heart felt so human in the worst way.
The knocking continued. Light at first, then firmer. Someone called his name from the other side. Their voices were always polite, always respectful, always careful, yet they never stopped trying.
Calithar finally dragged himself up after two days of remaining in his kneeling posting, his muscles stiff and his body complaining. His wings twitched behind him. It felt like someone had stabbed his chest and left the blade inside. The pain did not go away. It only spread deeper.
