"So you have a past. And Warden Annabelle… she means a lot to you," Ariana said gently, leaning back in her seat.
Adrian had mentioned that he was Avirin as well, but her attention stayed on Annabelle—which he had expected.
He nodded. "Yes… she was like a daughter to me. Her village treated her like a curse. Every night, they would hang her up at the entrance, thinking nothing could scare off evil more than a poor, orphaned child."
Ariana's heart clenched. She didn't want to hear more—she could already see it in her mind. A small girl, helpless, strung up like that... it broke her heart every time she imagined it.
"You can't leave her now," she said quietly. "She needs you."
Annabelle hadn't had parents in this life either. They were killed in an ambush when she was still very young.
After that, she grew up in an orphanage. By thirteen, she was already on the path to a warrior.
Her only family now… was Ruby.
So yes, she was still alone.
"Ariana… I know how this sounds—"
