Chapter 44

• ARIA
• The moment it happened, my body reacted before my thoughts did. I stood up fast. Kael had accused me of having no loyalty. That cut deep. I was not going to let it stand.
• “They helped us,” I said, steady but sharp. “We would not have made it this far without them. Their healer made it possible for me to travel without knee pain. I don’t wake up sick every morning anymore. They fed us. They gave us a place to sleep. They asked for nothing back. If you mean to hurt them...”