Silence stretches, painful and awkward. Ashura keeps his fingers moving through the hair, using it as a calming agent even as he wished that Gideon would leave them. He knew the other had reason to be here, but at the same time, he could not help but wish the other gone, vanished, a continual prodding in his side.

"Do you know what precisely happened?" he asked, thinking James might have told Gideon something, sudden guilt washing over him again. He should have stuck closer, he should have been more attentive. He had thought Felix's magic would keep him safe, that he was out of the danger zone, but clearly not...