The first thing I learn after Asher declares his protection is this:
Protection doesn’t stop people from watching.
It sharpens their attention.
I feel it the moment I step into the main hall the next morning. Conversations don’t stop outright anymore — they thin. Voices lower. Laughter fades into polite murmurs. People glance at me and then look away too quickly, like eye contact itself might be a challenge.
I straighten my shoulders anyway.
I refuse to shrink.
Mariel walks beside me, close enough that her arm brushes mine now and then. It isn’t accidental. She’s anchoring me, the way someone does when they don’t want you to drift too far from safety.
But safety feels different now.
Heavier.
We reach the long table where breakfast is already laid out. The scent of coffee and bread
