The chamber was silent but for the sound of their breathing. The torches along the walls crackled, shadows dancing across stone, but none of them dared move.
Fen’s words still hung in the air like poison. Angel blood.
Lydia’s stomach turned. She looked around at the others, praying she’d see denial on someone’s face, some spark of disbelief that would undo what she had just heard. But instead, every pair of eyes slowly turned toward Aiden.
Eric’s voice was the first to break the silence, sharp and strained, like steel drawn too tight.
“Tell me it isn’t true.” His hands curled into fists at his sides, his voice shaking with the effort of keeping control. “Tell me you didn’t give them your blood, Aiden.”
Aiden’s throat worked, but no words came at first. He sat rigid, staring at the flo
