Naomi stayed quiet, but I felt her tension in the silence.
"Look," I said carefully. "Yeah, I spent the weekend with Aurora. And yeah, it was good. But that doesn't change anything with you two."
"Doesn't it?" Belle stopped walking, forcing us to stop too. "Because from where I'm standing, Aurora just got a full weekend while Naomi and I get scheduled appointments between training sessions."
"That's not fair."
"Isn't it?" Belle crossed her arms. "Aurora gets dates. Shopping trips. Hotel rooms. We get thirty-minute sanctum sessions where you rush through extraction because Misato's texting about formation drills."
Naomi finally spoke. "Belle."
"What? I'm just pointing out the obvious disparity in—"
"Belle." Naomi's voice was firmer. "Stop."
Belle looked at her, surprised.
Naomi took a breath. "I knew what this was when I agreed to it. So did you. He needs essence to survive. We provide it. The rest is... complicated. But it's our choice. All of us."
"Naomi—"
