The slit in Madeline's irises thinned as her jaw tightened, her anger barely contained. She exhaled slowly, the golden aura fading from her body, though the displeasure on her face remained.
"I'm going to pretend this never happened. Don't ever do it again."
Her voice was clipped, cold. Then she turned and left the room.
Diane lingered by the doorway, her expression unreadable. For a moment, Seamus thought she wanted to say something, but she didn't.
She only looked at him once before following Madeline out.
'I need to apologize to her too…' he thought bitterly as the silence settled again.
Maria lay motionless in his arms, her breathing steady, her eyes closed as if sleep had finally claimed her. Perhaps she'd fainted from shock.
Seamus leaned closer, resting his forehead gently against her temple. Her skin was cold, colder than any human's should be.
He could feel the chill seeping into his fingers, an icy reminder of what he'd done.
