"Aaron," Sylvia called out, her voice almost swept away by the rising wind. Strands of her dark hair lashed across her face, forcing her to shield her eyes with one hand as she stepped forward.
Aaron halted, just a few steps from his dragon's shadow, and turned. His expression was one of impatience, eyes sharp beneath a crown of ambition. "What?"
"The entire Shadow Order was sent after Duke Asher," Sylvia said firmly, her voice now steadier, cutting through the howling wind. "An order that has endured for centuries… and that mission led to its collapse. Almost all of their Awoken Ones, dead. Do you truly believe you can stand against a man like that and win?"
Aaron stared at her for a long moment, then scoffed, spreading his arms with an incredulous grin. "You lack faith in your own blood? Your own brother?"
His voice held disbelief, even a trace of amusement, as if her warning were nothing more than a child's fear.
