Thaleon sat still — too still. Selene's words hung in the air, ringing louder than any outburst could.
He wanted to defend himself. To say he'd only acted out of duty, out of concern that Artemis — curious, reckless Artemis — had gone too far. That her presence in the Forbidden Archives had been dangerous, alarming even. But the truth — the real truth — lodged in his throat like a stone he couldn't swallow.
Because Selene was right.
He had watched her from afar for centuries, silently captivated by her grace, her power, her balance. But she was always with her — the unapproachable huntress with eyes like steel-tipped arrows. Thaleon had tried, more than once, to approach her. To speak to her beyond strained formalities. But Artemis was like a wall between them. So he settled for crushing from a distance, admiring what he could never reach.
