Then Selis laughed.
It was soft. Nervous. And real.
The kind of laugh that escaped without permission, halfway between I can't believe this is happening and well, I'm definitely going to die now.
She scooted an inch away, finally giving Lucian some space—not that he seemed bothered by her being in his airspace to begin with.
He still looked like he was weighing whether to listen to her or throw her out the window.
"Explain. Now," he hissed.
His voice was sharp, each syllable edged like a blade. No room for negotiation. No patience for stalling.
Selis swallowed hard. Her moment of levity vanished like smoke in a storm.
Okay, she thought. This is it. Do or die. Mostly die if this goes badly.
She drew in a deep breath and let the truth tumble out in a rush. No schemes. No clever tricks. Just the words she'd been carrying in her chest like a burning stone for weeks.
Lucian didn't speak. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't interrupt.
