The voice still echoed in my ears.
Elara.
Not whispered,Not shouted,Just spoken with a calm certainty, like the man behind it already knew me,knew more about me than he should. It cut deeper than the bullets we had just outrun.
I didn’t know the face. I didn’t even see the lips move. But my name carried through the night air, wrapped in danger and familiarity. And the worst part? Valen heard it too.
For the rest of the sprint back to the car, he didn’t say a word. His breathing was ragged, his stitches tearing under the strain, but his silence pressed heavier on me than his weight leaning across my shoulders. We crashed into the passenger seat, and he slammed the door shut, hands gripping the wheel like it was the only thing holding him together.
I waited for him to speak. He didn’t.
