"I was a little afraid at first," Levina said.
Edward, seated between Levina and Alicia on the long cushioned bench, turned his gaze toward her.
"Afraid?"
He reached for his glass of red wine and took a slow sip. Then he rested one arm along the back of the bench behind Levina.
Levina nodded.
"When I saw you on the screen in Veyra," she said, "you looked different."
Edward glanced down at the wine in his hand, turning the glass slightly as the dark red liquid moved inside it.
"This is my real body, Levina," he replied. "It has changed over time, but this is who I truly am."
"I know."
Levina's voice became softer.
"I was just afraid that you would not be as close to us anymore."
Her blue eyes lowered.
"To me."
Edward smiled faintly.
He reached out and gently stroked her golden hair.
"I may have changed," he said. "But my affection for you has not diminished in the slightest."
His fingers moved carefully through her hair.
"If anything, it has only grown."
