"Aika?"

I stirred at the sound of Archer's voice, sensing that he sat on the edge of my bed from the heat radiating off of his body. "Please don't be mad at me."

It was all I'd thought about between fitful bursts of sleep, how much he'd lost, due in no small part to me, and the weight was enough to make me feel like I couldn't breathe. He had every right to hate me - for both what my baba had sold, and what I still planned to do with it - but that thought alone made ...