The creamy white walls appeared cavernous in the quiet stillness of early morning.
A whirring hum, that wasn't entirely unpleasant, filled the room and her heart thumped along in time with the ticking of the clock.
She sat there, silent, a lone remaining soldier in the battle against sleep, perched in the tiniest of chairs.
The waiting room showed the aftermath of her last skirmish. Limbs were sprawled over chair arms, silver hair entwined with tawny on the love seat. A glint of metal peeked out from an old brown jacket on the floor.
A minefield the likes of which no one cared to cross. The lines between their sides had been drawn in tears and hopeful prayers.
She'd had to sneak in, but she wouldn't back down. It was the smile that had cemented it for her.
If they'd learned anything from the sorceress, it was never to underestimate what could be accomplished by sheer force of will.
It was still full dark and the glow of the monitor cast eerie shadows across the gaunt form on the bed.
Everyone else was holding out for a miracle, while she sat here in the dark and waited for her sister to choose.
The blips on the monitor began to slow and the long rattling breaths were all the hint she needed.
With a feeling of grim purpose, she reached out with her oft ignored light and silenced the alarms before they could go off.
She held her breath as branch like arms drew up towards a pale breast, which stilled suddenly.
A grimace of concentration marred the beautiful face for a moment, before smoothing into an almost smile with the tiniest of sighs.
She waited twenty seconds, thirty, before the urge to breath became unbearable. She pressed her had firmly against her mouth to keep the harsh rasping breaths from waking the others.
A few long minutes later, the sun began to peek over the horizon. With tears streaming down her cheeks like rivers of lava, she let her magic go.
The cacophony of the alarms probably brought every healer and aid for two floors, but they were too late.
She was already beyond their reach.
She stood as the Queen rushed in, out pacing her husband, even at his dead run.
She strode quickly from the room under the hawk like gaze of Cain. Who seemed to know, to understand, what had happened. She saw acceptance, if not forgiveness in his eyes.
She made her way to her chambers to await the reckoning.
Her sister was dead.
There was no kiss of life to save her this time; mother already spent her one chance.
She knew there would be hell to pay today, but for now Azkadellia curled up against her hurt and dreamed that DG would finally find her peace.