Prompt is 'nonplussed.'
xxvi. the holy dark was moving too
"Are you really surprised?"
Lucy had left.
She had left in the early morning, when the sun still hid behind the horizon and the birds had just begun to awaken.
She had left only her scent on the sheets and a few bobby pins on the counter.
The night before, they hadn't fought.
The night before, they had cuddled on the couch and watched a movie, eating popcorn, laughing.
The night before, they had fallen asleep together. Her breath had tickled his neck, her red hair strewn over both pillowcases, her eyes crinkled in sleep.
"No," Zacharias said. "I'm not surprised."