Ester kept her hand on his forehead for a few seconds, assessing. The faint heat from the fire reflected against Damon's pale skin, but her body didn't follow. He was still trembling—not just from being wet and exhausted, but from something deeper, something burning inside with invisible ice.
Her trained gaze captured the detail: his skin, even close to the flames, wasn't gaining enough color. The cold seemed to come from within, not from without.
Ester narrowed her eyes.
This isn't ordinary hypothermia…
She moved closer, placing her hand on his chest, feeling the uneven flow of his mana. The waves were choppy, colliding with each other, like a river forced to change course. It was icy, so icy that even her own natural affinity for the cold felt the impact.
"Idiot…" she murmured, her voice deep, almost irritated. "You're not just freezing."
Damon's eyes moved slowly, trying to focus on her. "What... do you mean...?"
