Lorien POV

Auren using my name wasn’t unusual but the way it rolled off his tongue this time made something inside me twist. It felt as if he thought my fears were… amusing. As if my perspective on all of this was some kind of silly misunderstanding.

“Why?” I asked quietly. “Are you actually happy about it?”

I tried to keep my tone neutral, light, like I was playing along with whatever game he was subtly nudging us into. My gaze flicked past him to the cluster of Fae still ...