Damien's footsteps echoed as he stepped further into the kitchen. "Luna, I do not have time."
She chuckled without humor. "That's your problem, isn't it? You never have time. Just demands."
"Luna, look at me, please."
Luna hesitated for a heartbeat—long enough for the moment to stretch awkwardly—but then she turned reluctantly, her eyes meeting his.
"I'm sorry," Damien said, the words heavy on his tongue, as if swallowing a live bat. "I am very sorry. Yes, I didn't talk to you, but I thought—deep down—that you would say no."
Luna's eyes narrowed. "I would have said no. Do you have any idea what it means to be a banished princess? To know that my people—my own people—have no hope for the future because of me? Everyone has messed with my life: Morvakar, my parents, you! The only person who hasn't overstepped is Kyllian."
