Auren POV
We had a mission to complete, and the balance between us couldn’t afford to shift.
At the end of the day, Lorien was here for one reason and one reason only. Once she broke the curse, then and only then would I decide what to do with her.
Keep her.
Kill her.
Cast her away.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure I could bring myself to do any of those things.
Somewhere along the line, she had gotten under my skin. I didn’t know how or when it happened, but I could feel her there now lodged deep, impossible to ignore. The guilt I carried over Sylira still haunted me, a wound that refused to close, but being around Lorien made it easier not to think about it. Easier not to remember what I’d done.
I tugged my sleeve back down and reached for the jacket she held out to me. Her lips pur
