Azrael turned his face away, jaw tight, breath uneven as he hugged his fingers into the mattress to hide his claws.
For a moment, the room was heavy with silence.
Then Rhydric spoke again, already irritated. "You're not sleeping. You're hiding."
Azrael laughed under his breath, bitterly. "Congratulations. You cracked the mystery."
Rhydric dragged a chair closer and sat, elbows on his knees. "You want to tell me what happened, or do I guess?"
Azrael's claws clenched into the sheets. "There's nothing to tell."
"Funny," Rhydric said dryly. "Because you look like someone ripped your spine out and left you breathing."
That earned a sharp glare. "Drop it."
"No."
Azrael pushed himself up, sitting now, his hair wild with burning eyes. "Why do you even care?"
Rhydric met his gaze without blinking. "Because you don't fall apart like this. And when you do, it means something got too close."
Azrael swallowed hard.
"She chose someone else," he muttered.
