Asuriel held a thick leather-bound book in her hands. On its cover were celestial and infernal carvings, none of which she recognized.
She ran her fingers over the worn surface and inspected it curiously. Elara gave her the book but requested that Asuriel not open it until she returned to Veridion. As much as she wanted to ask for her mother's reasoning, she knew she would unlikely receive an answer.
Her chest ached, and her head became light. Whatever means Elara had been using to keep her body stable seemed to be wearing off. Asuriel turned her palm over and frowned when she realized the tips of her fingers were losing color, and her blood had turned black, making her veins visible beneath her skin.
She didn't know where Vaerion had gone, and Asuriel felt uncomfortable reaching out to him through their mind-link. After all, they had just eased the binding spell; he probably wanted some privacy and time to himself.
So, she sat alone.
