Astraea recoiled, backing a step toward the ledge. She didn’t know why. Auster would never hurt her… would he? She didn’t believe in her heart he was capable of it, but the hatred in his stare that lingered on her neck displayed a frightening side of him she’d never seen aimed at herself.
“Just let me explain—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” he cut her off. Then his expression completely softened as he took a step toward her. “We can fix this. Let’s go to the temple of Dusk and Dawn in Vesitire; they’ll know of a way to sever your bond.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew of it before?”
He avoided answering. “He’s a master manipulator with an ability of the mind. He’s brainwashed you and taken you against your will to spite me. I knew if I mentioned it you would defend it, but I’ve been trying to find a way to help you. The marriage bargain might—”
“Stop,” she said harshly. She couldn’t stand to hear another word, in complete disbelief over Auster’s conclusions.
Still, he approached her tentatively. His face held nothing but sympathy now.
“I’m going to make this right,” he said gently.
“Everything is exactly the way I chose.”
Auster winced as though she’d slapped him.
“We’ll go to the temple now.”
He reached for her and she jerked back before he could pull her through the void. Astraea’s parents were the last entities she wanted to confront with this. She had no doubt they had been seething since the bond with Nyte happened.
“If you still regarded me as dearly as you say, you would trust me. Once the bond is broken you’ll see it was all a villainous lie to corrupt you onto his side.”
Her bond to Nyte physically tugged at the mere thought of being broken.
She couldn’t retreat any farther as her heels slipped off the edge of the cliff.
“You’re wrong about him. If you were still my friend, you would let me explain it all to you. He hasn’t harmed or manipulated me. If that were his intention you know he could have caused far more destruction by now.”
“I am more than your damned friend, Astraea,I’myour bonded!”
Everything in her rattled at his tone spiked in anger. Did she truly fear Auster right now?
“Please,” she croaked.
This had gone so horribly wrong. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the fact that Auster had known about her bond to Nyte for some time changed everything.
“This is for your own good.”
When he reached for her again, she fell back, letting gravity have her instead.
Astraea didn’t fall for long, and it wasn’t her own wings that came out to catch her. The embrace she was cradled in was both an immense comfort and a terrible dread.
Nyte shot high with her, swooping around before landing across the cliff. Auster whirled to them with rage twisted over his face.
“I believe your problem is with me, not her,” Nyte said, darkly but calmly.
“Get away from her,” Auster snarled.
Astraea was torn. Auster truly believed he was protecting her, and that only tightened her guilt toward suffocation.
“It’s long overdue that we met, Auster Nova.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“Good luck with that.”
