“Are you truly ready?” he asks, eyes watching me steadily. “To leave Drollard, to go to Fourth Kingdom?” To leave the cocoon. Slade delves into my thoughts with the look in his eye, like he’s always been able to root right down inside me. “Because fuck the rest of the world, Auren. If you need to stay here, we’ll stay here.” My lips tip up, even as emotion drags down my chest. “I’m ready.”
