Aria's pov

　　His eyes softened, but only a little. "This isn't just about us, Aria. It's about everyone here. If someone knows about my lineage, they could be preparing to use that knowledge against us. Blood Mages have been hunted down before, they might try again and start with me since I am partly one of them."

　　The weight of his words settled between us, thickening the air. Silence followed, but it wasn't the comfortable kind. It was the kind that gnawed at ...