Aveline could not understand why the Ermine man was still here after looking at her with such fear earlier.
She carefully lowered herself another step down the tree before glancing beneath the branches, and there he was, standing below with one hand casually stretched toward her, silver hair catching the fading evening light.
"Need a hand?" Aelion asked, amusement flickering softly in his eyes. "I noticed you've been struggling for quite a while now."
Aveline immediately pouted and turned her face away.
The irritating part was that he looked sincere. Completely sincere. As though he genuinely wanted to help her. And somehow that only made her refuse harder.
"I'm fine, thank you," she said with wounded dignity.
Even Hamilton poked his head out from the folds of her skirt as if to judge her pride.
Still, after that, she descended much faster.
Not because she trusted herself.
