Chapter 93: Holding the Line
Brent didn’t go inside right away.
He stood on the porch for a long moment, staring at the wet wood where the ash symbol had been. The morning light hit it differently now — not as a threat, but as a challenge. A line someone else had drawn.
He wasn’t letting it stay.
He turned to Emery and Jonah. “We’re reinforcing the cabin.”
Jonah blinked. “Reinforcing? Like… barricading?”
“Not barricading,” Brent said. “Strengthening.”
Emery stepped closer. “Tell us what to do.”
Brent looked at her — really looked — and something in his expression softened. She wasn’t shaking anymore. She wasn’t shrinking from the fear. She was stepping into it.
He nodded. “Okay.”
Brent’s Work
He moved through the cabin with purpose, checking every window, every lock, every hinge
