THORNE POINT OF VIEW

Aria was still missing when we sat down.

That was the only thing that mattered, and it pressed down on us.

Lucian sat across from me, calm in a way that always felt deliberate, like he enjoyed testing nerves. Damon couldn’t sit still. He paced, boots scraping stone, carrying too much anger in his body to stay quiet. Riven leaned back, watching all of us, saying nothing, like a man already expecting the worst.

I spoke first. “We’re not here to tear each other ...