“You’re always fixing people, Bri,” Carys murmured. “You care about people so much—too much. But Lina doesn’t need you to fix her, and you don’t know what to do with that.”

“Everyone needs help sometimes,” Bri countered.

“Yes, but she doesn’t need you, she wants you. She chose you because of that, not because of what you could give to her.” Carys groaned, fretting for her. “There is no amount of support, or riches, or friendship that she couldn’t find somewhere else, but she chose to be with you for however brief a time simply because she wants to. There’s nothing there to fix.”

Bri’s gut clenched. It was true, she always had more to offer a partner than they had in return. She had the upper hand, even with Delta, and it made saying goodbye all the easier. She could brush off those feelings, but there was something raw and real about this that she’d scarcely felt before.

“Ugh, shit,” Carys muttered.

“You’re more worried about this than me.” Bri gave a half-hearted grin.

“Yeah, because you’re still all doe-eyed over her. I’m here with two feet in reality, knowing that I’m going to have to pick up the pieces when you two stomp all over each other’s hearts!”

“It’ll be fine.” Bri waved off her friend’s stormy temperament.

“No, Bri, it won’t.” Carys shot up out of the chair, heading to the open archway. Looking over her shoulder, she gestured to the empty spot on Bri’s belt where her amber dagger used to be. “How long did it take you to get over the last girl you loved?”

Bri opened her mouth but couldn’t summon a witty retort.

Love. Perhaps the feeling wasn’t so nameless after all.

“You want to go east and prove you’re worthy of a crown,” Carys continued, whirling as if she changed her mind and wasn’t done lecturing Bri. “She wants a coronation and to establish her reign. How does that end?”

“Car—”

“This is different than the others.” Carys cut her off. “I know you know that.”

“What am I supposed to do? The second she is crowned, she’ll be gone. Then what am I meant to do? Follow her? Pine for her?” Bri rubbed the back of her neck, frustration tensing her muscles. “I can’t, Carys. I have my own destiny.”

“This is going to hurt, Bri.” Carys gave her a warning look.

“It’s too late.” Bri shrugged with a bitter laugh. “I’m already doomed.”

Carys frowned at her, letting out one more frustrated sigh, and then left without another word. Bri wanted to protest that this thing with Lina wasn’t the same, wanted to chase her friend down the hillside and explain all the ways that she was wrong . . . but that eagerness to prove herself only incriminated her further.