"Maybe I don't want to stop it."
The words hung in the air between them, impossible to take back.
Thessian stared at her. "You don't know what you're saying."
"I know exactly what I'm saying." Liora's voice was steady despite her racing heart. "I'm saying that maybe being bound to you is better than being alone. Maybe having someone who understands what I've become, who sees the broken parts and doesn't flinch, is worth the price of losing my freedom."
"Liora...."
"Or maybe I'm just broken enough that I've confused captivity with safety." She laughed bitterly. "Maybe this is just Stockholm syndrome dressed up as fate. I don't know. But either way, I'm not running. Not tonight. Not from this."
Thessian closed his eyes. "You should."
"But I won't."
