AYLA'S POV
Cassia's words rang in the silence: Tell me you didn't bind yourselves to it.
The flames inside me writhed as if delighted by her accusation, licking higher under my skin. I forced them down, but they resisted like a child throwing a tantrum, eager to show themselves.
Kael's arm pressed lightly against mine, steady, anchoring, but I could feel the same burn coursing through him. We weren't hiding it—not from her, not anymore.
"Cassia—" My voice cracked, and I hated how weak it sounded.
Her stare sharpened. "Don't lie to me, Ayla."
Something in her tone gutted me. Not anger. Not even fear. It was betrayal.
The fire whispered: She'll never forgive you. Let her see. Let her bow.
I pressed my nails into my palms until blood welled, fighting the pull. "It wasn't supposed to be this way," I said, words spilling fast, desperate. "It wasn't a choice. It—it happened."
