Astraea's POV
I was halfway into the backseat of the car when I saw her.
Zephyra.
She was walking through the front gates, her steps slow, and her head slightly bowed like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. I froze, my hand still on the edge of the car door. She'd left the estate barely an hour ago, and I'd assumed she'd be gone for much longer, but here she was, back already, and she didn't look like herself.
I stepped back from the car, shutting the door without a sound.
There was something about the way she moved that made my chest tighten. She wasn't limping or clutching at herself, so it didn't look like she was physically hurt, but her face… her face told a different story.
She looked like someone who was on the verge of breaking but holding on just enough to keep from falling apart in public, and knowing her, that wasn't like her.
