Redtail Rise rockfall

His smile soured quickly, like oil sizzling in a pan too hot for it to settle and simmer. He turned his eyes to the sky, to the distance, to the ground- anywhere but her, as the mark of sheer self-loathing and anguish crept into the corners of his lips where they were drawn tight against his teeth. A feral shudder seemed to creep into his bones as though trying to shake itself out of him from the inside. 

And while Lilia was surprised, she wasn't horrified at all. What she felt took a moment to develop and register. It began with simple astonishment, but soon thereafter in the wake of his cold laughter and his confession she felt herself breathing a bit harder. She eyed the faint staining of his teeth, and felt something akin to hunger stir within her gut. A devilish secret she'd harboured since the wolfhunt rose to the surface, having found a kindred spirit within Ancelin. She realized within moments that she was flooded with relief, having found someone who wanted to kill someone, too.

She'd fantasized often enough about what had happened to the white wolf and her followers after the Rise had ousted them from their home. But wondering had never been enough, truly; she wanted to find them so she would have an excuse to end someone. She felt inspired for a moment by this dark secret they shared-

until he was swept asunder by what she thought must have been shame. 

He sobbed, and there was nothing pretty or dignified about it. Lilia stood at a loss, teetering on the edge of confession herself- and had no idea what she could do or say that might cure him of the guilt. She edged herself down onto the ground next to him, so he might know at least that he wasn't alone- and that she wasn't going to leave. There was hope for them yet- hope for her, she thought, now that she knew she wasn't the only one who had such a dark secret. 

He'd shared his with her- so she leaned toward him, and whispered softly, darkly, in his ear. 

"Do it."

If he needed to kill someone so that he wouldn't tear Relic into pieces, so be it.