The shadow didn’t come back.
That was the first problem.
Nyra kept her eyes on the fence line long after the movement disappeared, her focus fixed on the exact spot where the figure had stood. Most people would’ve relaxed once the threat pulled away.
She didn’t.
Because retreat wasn’t absence.
It was decision.
“They left too easily,” she said under her breath.
Ronan didn’t look at her.
“They weren’t here to stay.”
Nyra’s jaw tightened slightly.
“No,” she said. “They were here to confirm.”
A pause.
Then Ronan shifted his weight slightly, finally turning his gaze away from the fence and back toward the yard.
“Yeah,” he said. “And now they have.”
That settled heavier than it should have.
Because confirmation meant progress.
And progress meant they weren’t catching up.
They we
