They had a contract. And even more than that, they had— well. They had what Lucanis remembered them having, where Rook had not experienced it yet. He considered the dull ache in his chest at the thought of her just being... gone, lost and never found again no matter how hard they searched.

He closed his eyes, looked briefly pained, and then sighed, turning his hand and shifting so their palms pressed together instead. "We lost Harding in the fight with Ghilan'nain. If it weren't for her skilled marksmanship and the distraction she provided, I never would have managed to strike that final blow. And Neve — she is gone. Lost, like you were, if we are being hopeful in thinking we might find her again." They lost so much for all the ground they gained, and they still had more to go. "I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough — for any of you."