The shadows of the forest thickened as Lyra and Kael pushed forward, the scent of pine and damp earth mingling with the scent of blood and sweat. The silence between them had stretched long enough that Lyra began to feel the weight of everything left unsaid. Her heart pounded with the questions she couldn't ask why had he saved her, why did he care now, and how much of what Marcus said was true?
They had nearly reached Kael's territory, his home, but it felt like they had entered enemy grounds.
"Lyra," Kael said, breaking the silence. His voice was strained, raw with something she couldn't quite place. "When we get back, I need you to stay close to me. Things will be different."
Lyra furrowed her brows. "Different how?"
Kael slowed his steps, turning to face her. His eyes gleamed in the fading light, intense as ever. "There are others... Ariadne has returned." The name hung in the air between them like a poisonous fog.
