Soren placed his large, warm hands over hers, squeezing her fingers where they clutched his collar.
His own eyes were bright with unshed tears, his voice trembling as he looked down at her broken face. "He is not dying because of you, Eris."
"Stop it!" she cried, shaking her head violently. "Stop lying to me!"
"The second seal—"
"Stop!" she screamed, her strength flaring for a single, terrifying second before faltering.
"I was there! I felt it wake! I felt the fire tear through the circle! It happened because we tried to break the dragon's cage! And we tried to break it because I was too weak to carry it any longer! It is my fault! It is entirely my fault! And I need you to stop pretending that it isn't!"
In the corner of the room, Mira buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking violently as she wept.
Lord Aldwin stood motionless by the bed, his head bowed, unable to offer a single word of comfort.
