/-Maleek-/

The door clicked shut behind Esme, and the infirmary fell into a silence so heavy it was almost suffocating.

I stood there for a moment, just staring at Zara's unconscious form on the examination table. Her chest rose and fell in steady, shallow breaths. The bandages on her shoulder were already showing small spots of blood seeping through, but Esme had assured us the bleeding was under control.

She was alive. She was going to be okay.

So why did I still feel like I couldn't ...