Astraea's POV
I woke with the faint light spilling through the curtains, and my entire body was still heavy with sleep. For a brief moment, I felt almost at peace, the kind of rare calm that only came when Zephyra was near.
Last night, she had curled against me and drifted off in my arms, and I had let myself fall asleep with the warmth of her being close to me, but when I reached across the bed, the space beside me was cold and empty.
My eyes opened fully then, confusion pulling me out of my haze. I turned my head toward the spot where she should've been, expecting to see her hair spread across the pillow, but there was nothing. Just rumpled sheets and no sign of her.
"Zephyra?" My voice was groggy and a little softer than usual.
No answer.
I sat up, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Maybe she was in the bathroom. That would explain it. I called her name again, a little louder this time. "Zephyra?"
Still nothing.
