Geoffrey's pov
Margery shot me a look from the corner of the room, her eyes dark with warning but I saw the pain that reflected there. "You know what you have to do, Geoffrey. We can't let her leave."
I gave a slow nod, never taking my eyes off Aria."You shouldn't have come here tonight."
She took a step back, eyes wide with realization. "What are you—"
Before she could finish, I raised my hand, muttering an incantation under my breath. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Silence filled the room, the only sound my heart pounding against my ribs. I knelt beside her, checking her pulse, steady, thankfully. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her. I just couldn't let her leave.
"Are you going to sit there all night, or are we getting this over with?" Margery's voice cut through the silence like a blade. She was already pulling her hood over her head, preparing for the journey.
