Aveline and Aelion both watched him in silence, each of them equally unprepared for what came next. Lucien's expression softened in a way that was almost startling, and when he reached out and patted Aelion's shoulder.
"Keep her with you," he said. "Bring her home safe, Adrian."
Aveline blinked. What did that mean? He cares for me too? But who does he see when he sees me?
Aelion, for his part, looked as though he had completely forgotten how to breathe.
Keep her with you.
Bring her home safe.
This was not the first time he had said that. And again… It was absurd.
It was also shockingly sincere.
Aelion did wonder. Even if Lucien mistook Aveline for his "Levert", why did he believe that she could fire-bend, when she was from the Sylvarion family?
Nothing made sense.
Aveline and Aelion stood frozen for a beat longer, both of them staring after him as though they had just witnessed something impossible and had not yet decided what to do with it.
