Lucian's POV
*****
The announcement hung in the air like smoke that refused to fade.
Aurora was moving out.
Lucian could still feel the silence that followed her words — the kind that made every heart in the room skip a beat. His fork had barely touched his plate.
Across from him, Elowen's eyes glistened, lips parted but unable to form a response. Kyren sat motionless, expression unreadable, fingers steepled beneath his chin.
"You're… moving out?" Lucian finally asked, his voice quieter than he expected. "Where would you even stay? Aurora, Garrick's still out there."
She met his gaze steadily.
"Garrick's probably already out of Lunaria by now," she said, tone soft but resolute. "Besides, the palace is practically a Dark Hand hotbed. If there's anywhere I don't feel safe right now, it's here."
Lucian's jaw tightened. "Aurora—"
