Aeron’s POV

Naeris’s tears undid me.

I had seen her angry, seen her stubborn, seen her stand tall in front of people who wanted her to shrink.

But this shattering was new. Her hands clutched the blanket like it was the only thing keeping her from breaking apart entirely, and the sobs wracked through her chest before she could stop them.

Her tears weren’t delicate. They were raw. Ugly. The kind that carved lines down her face and made her breaths hitch sharp enough to ...