{AURORA'S POV}
The words slipped from my mouth before I could think.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Rhea's hands fell away from my shoulders as if my skin burned her. She staggered back a step, her amber eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"Don't—" her voice cracked. She swallowed hard then spoke again, her voice trembling, but louder and sharper this time. "Don't you dare toy with me, girl."
"I'm not!" I blurted. My heart was racing so fast it hurt. "I heard it with my own ears. One of MoonVeil's scouts just journeyed back from the capital. He said that in two days from now, a witch hunter is to be executed for treason. And his name is Darius Fane! Isn't that—"
Rhea's face immediately went pale. I saw pain, hope, rage, and fear in those amber eyes all at once. She pressed a hand over her mouth, shaking her head violently.
"N–No… no, this can't be."
I took a step toward her. "It's true. He's alive, Rhea."
