Aurora's POV
Natalie's head snapped up. “Aurora—”
“The verdict stands,” I continued, my hands curling into fists. “Exile beyond the borders. No protection. No title.”
“No!” she screamed. “Please! I won’t survive out there!”
The councilman raised his staff. “The decision is final.”
Guards seized her arms. As they dragged her away, she screamed my name again and again. Not in anger. In terror.
The doors slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing like a coffin lid sealing. I didn’t move.
Not until my legs started shaking.
I barely made it into the corridor before Zayne found me.
His face was tight, eyes dark. “Aurora.”
I already knew. My heart had started racing the moment I saw him.
“What now?” I asked. He hesitated. “It’s Jake.”
My stomach dropped. “What about him?”
“The counc
