The light that filled the room was brighter than anything Carrick had ever known. For a moment he felt he wild and uncontrollable panic, and his hand automatically flew to his face as he jerked backwards from the source of the light.
When his eyes had stopped stinging enough to allow him to focus, what he saw was glorious. Wide and beautiful an gleaming with all the pale and lovely colours of the dawn, the wings stretched out.
For a long moment, he could only stare... but under his awe, he felt a bone-deep instinct to pull away, to run, to hide from this great and glorious light. He was a creature of darkness and shadow. He had no place in the light of this beautiful being before him.
When the soft lips touched his, he closed his eyes. He forced himself to reach out and clasp the hand that cupped his face.
"I never knew..." he began. "Never thought that you would be so..." he could not think of way to finish the sentence.