I continue the melody, my voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat. Soldiers from both sides are staring at us — at me, a fallen noble cradling the head of a dead warlock in her lap and singing a lullaby to the King of Monsters who has become her lover.
"Forgive and forget," I sing as I stroke Gavin's hair. "This fate we detest. From cradle to grave, our lives are a test."
Eliana approaches us slowly. Her face is drawn and pale. She kneels beside me, and despite myself, her presence is comforting, a familiar tether in a world that's spinning out of control. Maybe because she is the Heroine of this story, whereas I am the Villainess.
Calais watches from afar, his face unreadable, but his eyes reflect worry. Is he afraid I will hurt Eliana when she is this defenseless and close?
"Lyrica," Eliana's voice is filled with an apology. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to arrive earlier."
