ECLIPSED

CHAPTER 24

The ride back to Azrath's estate was shrouded in silence. Neither of them spoke, and the air between them was thick with tension. Lea clutched the reins tighter than necessary, her mind spiraling with thoughts she couldn't quite grasp.

She cursed herself silently, feeling foolish. Her so-called prison...."home." What a ridiculous thing to think. This place wasn't her home, not really. She was only here as a servant and a prisoner, held against her will. What kind of home was that?

The horse beneath them snorted, slowing to a halt, signaling that they had arrived. Without a word, Lea dismounted on her own, her boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. She didn't wait for Azrath to help her or speak. She just marched forward toward the tall wooden doors of the estate, the building looming over her like a shadow.

"Human."

Azrath's voice cut through the silence like a blade, and Lea stopped in her tracks. That word, it stung more than she wanted to admit. All this time... and he still hadn't even asked her name.

She turned slowly, trying to keep her face neutral. "Yes?" she answered, keeping her tone flat and polite.

Azrath approached, his piercing gaze locked onto hers. "When we enter Myranis," he began, "you must be on your best behavior. We cannot afford mistakes."

Lea nodded, suppressing the flicker of resentment building in her chest. His words were curt, businesslike. The same as always.

Azrath's gaze lingered a second too long, his eyes scanning her as if searching for something beneath her surface. The intensity of his stare made Lea shift uneasily, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

Then, before she could stop herself, she said, "Is that all, Master?"

The words fell like stones between them, heavy and sharp.

Azrath's expression hardened instantly, the distance between them widening. "Yes." His voice was cool, distant like ice. And yet, neither of them moved. They stood there awkwardly, rooted to the spot, the silence between them deafening.

Lea could feel the tension growing by the second. Something had cracked between them, though she couldn't tell exactly what it was. All she knew was that the elf standing in front of her wasn't the strange, warm companion she had glimpsed during the battle. He was the cold, aloof being she had first met in the dungeon...detached, untouchable.

A wall had gone up between them again, and it hurt far more than she expected.

Lea swallowed hard, bowing stiffly. "Goodnight."

She turned on her heel and walked briskly toward the estate doors, leaving Azrath standing there in the shadows.

Once inside, Lea didn't stop. Her boots thudded against the stone floors as she rushed through the halls and into the gardens. She needed space...air...anything to calm the storm swirling in her chest.

She reached the small door to her cabin and threw it open, stumbling inside and slamming it shut behind her. With a frustrated groan, she kicked off her boots and collapsed onto the bed, burying her face into the pillow.

"Stupid," she whispered into the fabric. "How stupid could I be?"

She clenched the pillow tighter, as if doing so could crush the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She had let herself hope....just a little that Azrath might be different. That maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the monster she thought he was.

But no. He was an elf.

An arrogant, frustrating, beautiful elf. And worse, her master.

Her heart twisted painfully, and she hated herself for feeling this way. Why did it matter to her? Why did his indifference cut so deeply?

She rolled onto her back, staring up at the wooden beams of the ceiling, her thoughts spinning wildly. There was no point in thinking about it. No point in hoping for anything more.

"It's nothing," she whispered to herself. "He's nothing."

But the ache in her chest didn't listen.

Damn him. Damn him for making her feel things she didn't want to feel. Damn him for being kind one moment and cold the next.

With a sigh, Lea closed her eyes, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her chest like a stone. Sleep came slowly, dragging her down into restless dreams full of tangled emotions and broken promises.

Andas the night deepened, the uneasy silence between her and Azrath lingered inthe air like a storm waiting to break.