“Where are—”
Rane sets them down by my feet. Doesn’t say anything.
“Thanks.”
I shove them on, fingers clumsy.
“Nova, you can’t leave.” Vaelor’s voice. Careful. “Not again.”
“I’m not.”
“Nova—”
“I’mnot. I’m going for a walk. I just—I can’t—I don’t know what—” I make a sound that’s not quite a word. “I need air.”
I’m out the door before anyone can stop me.
The morning is cold and gray and I don’t care. I just need to move, need to think, need to figure out what the fuck is happening and why they’re all looking at me like—
“Stop.”
Kyron’s voice. Twenty feet behind me.
I don’t stop.
“Nova.”
“I can’t.”
“You can turn around.”
“I can’t do that either.”
“Why?”
I keep walking.He keeps following. I can hear his footsteps, steady, unhurried. Like he’s got all the time in the world.
“Because I can’t let you go.” His voice is closer now. “Not anymore.”
I stop.
I don’t want to. My legs just stop moving.
I turn around.
He’s standing there, dark hair messy from sleep, those blue eyes fixed on me like I’m the only thing that exists.
“What do you want?” The words come out sharper than I mean them to.
He blinks. “What?”
“What do youwantfrom me?” I’m getting louder and I can’t stop it. “People don’t do this. People don’t just give you food and kindness for no reason. And if you think I’m going to—that I’ll just—”
“No.” He cuts me off. “Not like that, Nova.”
“Then what’s it like?”
He runs his hands through his hair. For a second he looks almost lost, and that’s wrong—Kyron’s never lost, Kyron always knows exactly what’s happening—
