403 The Sands of Xahan II

Daphne all but leapt out of the carriage to run towards Cordelia. "You're actually here! I can't believe it!" 

Cordelia caught Daphne in her arms. Daphne marveled at the fact that she was seeing her best friend in the flesh― she was not a hallucination brought about by the desert heat. Although, Daphne wouldn't be any surprise if Cordelia indeed was. She looked perfectly normal despite the raging heat of the desert, not at all disturbed by the lack of water.

She wore a faint, indulgent smile, gently — but also rather awkwardly — patting Daphne's back before pulling away. Then, she turned to Atticus, bowing her head slightly.

It seemed like with every meeting she had with the king of Vramid, Cordelia was only getting colder and colder. Her behavior felt like a breeze of ice cold air in winter, battling against the scorching heat of the desert.