Faced with Nia's question, Zayne did not know how to answer.
He did not know how to tell her that Astrachior was already gone.
Although he had never really liked Nia and often thought she was a bit scatterbrained, actually telling her that her father had died left him at a complete loss for words.
Nia stared at Zayne, her eyes burning with anticipation. When she saw him remain silent, confusion flickered across her face.
Then her gaze shifted to the crystal ice coffin resting on Zayne's shoulder. Her heart suddenly skipped, and she forced out an awkward, strained smile.
"Shadowcaster, why aren't you saying anything? What is that thing you're carrying?"
"I'm sorry."
Zayne took a deep breath and set the ice coffin down. It landed heavily in front of Nia with a dull thud.
Nia stepped closer. When her eyes passed through the ice and landed on Astrachior's pale face, a smile appeared on her lips. She lifted her gaze back to Shadowcaster.
