The first frost silvered the grass before sunrise.
I stood at the edge of the spring with the ward keys in one hand and the renewal document in the other. Lila waited beside me. Callum stood at my right, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his shoulder.
The Voss Pack came through the trees in a group of eight. Malcolm walked at the front.
"The spring is failing," he said. "We're here to secure it."
"You were told not to cross the ridge until the boundary was settled."
"The emergency clause allows us to protect the water."
"Not to take the stone."
"I don't intend to take anything."
The answer might have sounded convincing if I hadn't seen the silver in the pool.
Malcolm held out a second document. "The pack is willing to recognize your stewardship if you relinquish the wes
