Selena.
Morning began quietly, but nothing about it felt gentle to me.
I walked a few steps behind them, my arms loose at my sides, my eyes fixed on the uneven path ahead. The forest felt different now. Still familiar. Still quiet. But no longer entirely safe. And the silence between me and the three men in front of me felt deadlier than anything else.
Kael, Edris, and Ronan moved together easily.
They always had.
But I used to be part of that ease.
Now I was not.
Their voices carried low through the air, too quiet for me to catch every word, but enough for me to know they were speaking to each other.
Once, they would have slowed without thinking, allowing me to fall into step between them. Once, one of them would have glanced back, checking on me without needing a reason.
Now they kept walking.
I told myself it did not matter. It was just a morning. Just a quiet stretch of road. Just a mood that would pass once whatever was bothering them settled.
