ELIA
Reth sighed. "Elia, I couldn't tell you this in the middle of the Market with everyone around—they'd have heard. None of them knew—"
"If they didn't know, then you must have been the one to bring me here!"
"No," he was on his feet, following her as she darted around the floor, trying to find some kind of focus for this buzzing anger that threatened to choke her. "No, Elia, please. Listen to me. I knew how scared you were that night, I knew you needed to focus. And I knew you'd think that—you'd think that I'd bring you here and just throw you into this battle. I'd never do that to you. If I'd had any clue they were coming for you, I would have found a way to stop it. I didn't think anyone knew about you except my parents and the guardians. It never even crossed my mind—"
"And yet, there I was! About to die. And you just… stood there!"
He stopped, mid-step, his shoulder heaving with his breath. "You don't understand. The Rite—"
