How far could she go without that leaden weight? She would try one simple thing first and see where to go from there. Wrapping her arms around Bern, she pulled him into a hug. She felt his smile as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Holding him tightly, she let the tears fall down her cheeks, a dam broken by the shining rays of sunlight. Bern stroked a comforting hand down her back, holding her just as tightly with the other, and she knew he was hugging her, not just for himself, but for Raffiel as well. He carried part of Raffiel’s soul within himself, his Fated’s life bound together with
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