“Lyra’s tits!” She slapped the knife onto the counter, cradling her hand against her mouth as she stomped toward the front of her flat. “I said, I’m f—”
She turned the latch, and the door swung open. It wasn’t Margo. Or Cassidy. Or Ursula.
The woman standing outside wasn’t anyone Emmaline knew, but there was no mistaking who she was. Her eyes were the color of summer leaves after a storm, while her hair, a cascade of emerald waves, tumbled past her waist.
“Shite.” Emmaline stepped aside without being asked.
“I take it he told you about me?” the woman said, stepping out of the hallway.
“Sort of.” Emmaline closed the door with her heel, fingers wringing together behind her back as she led the woman toward the kitchen. “I take it… he told you about me?”
The woman’s gaze drifted around the flat—not with judgment, just quiet observation. Her eyes lingered on the cluttered table, thecrooked shelf half-collapsing under the weight of mismatched bottles, the worn tapestry tacked unevenly to the wall.
Finally, she turned back to Emmaline, her hands folding neatly at her waist. “Only after he passed out on the Bea Line, and the Night Patrol called me to come fetch him.”
Emmaline’s stomach clenched. She gripped the edge of the counter, biting down hard on her knuckle. “Fuck.”
“Yes.” The woman sighed. “That was Saturday.” She pressed two fingers to her brow, kneading the space between her eyebrows before her attention settled on one of the rickety kitchen stools. Without asking, she lowered herself onto one of them and looked up at Emmaline. “Can I get a drink or something?”
Emmaline stared, blinking once, twice, then barked out a sharp laugh. “Sure. But can I at least get your name first?”
She turned toward the cabinets, flicking them open and pulling down a dusty bottle of the same rotgut Cassidy refused to touch unless there were absolutely no other options left. Pouring two generous mugs, Emmaline slid one across the counter to her uninvited guest, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m Aeren.” She took the mug, turning it once in her hands, then sniffed. Her nose wrinkled in reflexive distaste, but she raised it anyway, taking a long, fearless swallow.
“Not bad.” She coughed once, then laughed, a sound fuller and warmer than Emmaline expected. “Is this what I have to look forward to after graduation?”
“Only if you’re lucky.” Emmaline smiled, surprised by how easy it was to like her. Not the same pull she’d felt with Deyric, this was softer,like recognizing your own reflection in water you didn’t remember stepping near.
They drank in silence, a few more unhurried sips passing between them before Aeren finally exhaled.
“He’s an idiot. I’m sorry.”
Emmaline sputtered, choking on her drink. “What are you talking about? I’m the one who… who…” Her throat clamped shut, refusing to let the words out.
“Broke the bond.” Aeren’s smile was small and sad, but there was no accusation in it, only understanding.
“Yeah.” Emmaline set the mug down. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to protect him.” She squeezed her eyes shut, dragging in a breath, then opened them again. “If you know I’m the one who screwed everything up. Why is he the idiot?”
In a blink, Aeren was beside her, faster than any polite guest had a right to move.
“It wasn’t your fault.” The words were soft but solid, a truth laid down like stone. Unshakable. “I know it feels like it was, but it wasn’t.”
“But…” Emmaline’s lips trembled, her fists tightening until her knuckles went pale. “How can you say that?”
“Because I know.”
Aeren didn’t touch her, didn’t crowd her, but her presence filled the space. Normally, anyone outside her inner circle getting this close would have set Emmaline’s teeth on edge, but with Aeren, it felt different. It felt like… family.
“I did the same,” Aeren said, voice quieter now. “Did what I had to do to protecthim.”
She hesitated, the faintest grimace flickering across her face. “His reaction when it happened to me was bad enough. I can’t imagine how he took it from hismate.”
Emmaline braced both arms against the counter, leaning into the wood like it was the only thing keeping her upright. Her hair spilled forward, hiding her face, but it couldn’t hide the way her shoulders shook.
Aeren snorted, the sound sharp and unladylike. “At least with me, the ungrateful, stubborn lout could actually see that I was protecting him, even if he hated every second. Like I said… idiot.”
“He is a stubborn ass.” Emmaline lifted her head, a wobbly smile breaking through the tears streaking her cheeks.
