FIA
I stood there frozen. The weight of what we'd just uncovered pressed down on my chest like a stone.
Thorne's jaw worked. He looked at Maren, then back at me. His hands gripped the edge of the counter.
I lifted my chin. "I told you what happened to the grand Luna wasn't my fault."
Maren's expression flickered. Something uncertain passed behind her eyes.
"Someone else did this," I continued. My voice came out steadier than I felt. "Alpha Aldric did this."
The words hung in the air. They sounded insane even as I spoke them. But they were true. They had to be true.
Maren's mouth opened. Just as it opened, it closed. She seemed in awe as she shook her head slowly. "Accountability cannot be that—"
Thorne straightened. "She's not lying."
Maren turned to him. Her eyes widened. "Elder Thorne—"
"I don't know if Alpha Aldric is responsible for this." He paused. The silence stretched between us. "But the cure we created. It worked."
The statement landed like a blow.
