Lilith laughed bitterly. "You say that now. But we both know the bonds won't let me leave. We both know I'd be in agony within hours. We both know this is permanent whether I want it to be or not."
She was right. Nicholas knew she was right. But he had to at least offer her the choice even if it was an illusion.
"Victoria told us something," he said finally. "At the border. About the curse. About what it takes to break it."
Lilith went very still. "What did she say?"
Nicholas met her gaze and made himself say the words even though they tasted like ash. "She said that breaking the curse requires a sacrifice. That the bonds transfer the curse from us to you. And that you have to die for it to break."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Lilith stared at him and Nicholas watched the color drain from her face. "What?"
