Morning came cloaked in a dense mist that muffled sound and shrouded the trees in ghostly gray. The air was cold enough to sting the lungs, but Rhea rose early, brushing dew from her lashes as she stepped into the clearing. The others were already stirring, their breath visible in the chill.
Lucci stood by the fire pit, murmuring to Ronan and Isla. Rhea’s heart skipped a beat as she saw him. The night before still lingered in her chest—their kiss, his hand on her cheek, the soft vulnerability neither of them had voiced aloud.
She approached, and the three turned to her.
"Good. You're up," Isla said. "We move soon."
"Where?"
"Back to the source of the fire and markings. Kael scouted ahead before sunrise. There’s movement beyond the southern ridge. More than we thought."
Rhea glanced o
