The mention of Alex's name made my feet stop dead.
I had been so careful. I hadn't told Alex that I had run away from Elara's house. I had followed the rules: stay quiet, stay hidden, don't reach out until it's safe. Part of me had trusted Elara. I thought that even if we fell apart, a responsible person like her wouldn't have abandoned Alex so quickly.
"You need a safe place," Elara said, her voice cutting through the freezing night air. "Just until everything is finished. That's the only reason I'm here."
"But... you said it was safe before," I whispered, turning back to look at her. "You said the danger was over."
"It was," she replied, her eyes steady on mine. "But Alex insists on working again. I've allowed it because he got a job offer from the place he used to work at. I'm just seeing if it's truly alright for him to be out there."
