The Grand Sorcerer studied Liv for a long moment too long as if trying to read something that had not yet been spoken. The torchlight around them flickered softly, casting wavering shadows over tense faces waiting for a single word to ignite disaster.
"How did you die in that life?" he finally asked. His voice was low now, stripped of mockery.
Liv drew a deep breath. She no longer felt the chill of the North only the tightness in her chest, as if an unseen hand were closing around her heart.
"I died," she said quietly, but firmly, "because I was betrayed."
Jay straightened. That word pierced deeper than he expected.
"Betrayed…?" he murmured, almost to himself.
Liv nodded slowly.
"By the person I trusted the most."
The Grand Sorcerer did not respond at once. Instead, his sharp gaze shifted to Jay measuring, weighing, as if calculating the weight of his soul. A few seconds later, his eyes returned to Liv.
"Was it him?" His chin pointed at Jay without hesitation.
