{AURORA'S POV}
Leo's blade glinted under the pale light, its edge pressed against the stranger's throat.
The hooded man took a small step back, slowly raising his hands in surrender, palms open.
"Easy," he said. "I mean no harm."
My brows immediately drew together. There was something about his tone—the rough timbre, the steadiness in his voice that felt strangely…. familiar. It tugged at the edges of my memory. I'd heard that voice before, but I couldn't remember where.
He moved one hand to his hood and slowly pulled it back.
My body went still, a sharp gasp slipping past my lips. "Theo?"
Leo blinked, caught off guard. "Aurie, you know him?"
"Yes." I said, stepping out from behind him before I even realized I'd moved. "Yes, I do."
Leo's stance softened, though his hand still gripped the hilt of his sword. When he finally lowered and sheathed it, the metallic scrape sounded loud in the stillness.
"You could've started with that," he muttered.
