Noctisardor Bypass anything at all to keep me close to you

mahler let out his breath. 'recuperate. recover. relocate, if necessary." he dared not look laurel in the eye, not yet. he knew he would only find anger and bitterness there, and righteously so. "then i vill see if i can broker a trade vith them, to bring back your children." he assumed now that abel too was with merrick.
it hurt to speak that sentence aloud. that they had been taken from rivenwood at all plagued him. and now his mind pooled with thoughts of wylla.
perhaps she too should leave. it was glass-transparent that mahler could not keep any of them safe.
"first ve must gather everyone and discuss our next step." his voice was rough; on this at least he did not want laurel to cross him.
at last the lavender stare sought her own, softening beneath the weight of her resenting eyes.