A profound sense of loss pervaded Ephraim's spirit by Darcy's absence. From the moment he had revealed himself to her, not a day had passed without her radiant presence. She was the lifeblood of his existence, the revitalizing spark that roused him from his stupor each day.
He had been ticking off the days on an imaginary calendar, yearning for this particular moment where he would see her again, despite his inherent patience. His gaze kept straying to Ravina, as if by some strange magnetism, as if wishing that if he looked closer, she would turn into Darcy. Yet every time his eyes met hers, they registered the difference between the two women, causing his focus to involuntarily drift back to the entrance.
Choosing to avoid wallowing in this unsettling limbo, he joined Ares and Nazneen in their efforts to integrate the different species, instead of allowing them to cluster into their separate groups.
