Julian's eyes were red around the edges. Whatever fire had been driving him earlier was gone, replaced by something fragile. His voice shook when he spoke.
"Elena… was everything in that journal real?"
I didn't look away. There was no point pretending anymore.
"You still think I lied about Camilla?"
He shook his head quickly. "No. No, that's not what I meant. I just… I didn't know you suffered like that. I'm sorry."
A sharp laugh escaped me. Bitter. Hollow.
"Sorry?" I repeated. "What I suffered while I was alive doesn't even come close to how I died."
His body stiffened. He remembered. I could see it in his face. What he didn't know was that I remembered more than he ever would.
"When I was bleeding out by the river," I said quietly, "you were lighting fireworks."
His eyes widened slightly.
"Do you remember those fireworks? They were meant for our ceremony. For us. But instead, you used them to make Camilla laugh."
The color drained from his face.
