ENID’S POV
The woods were quiet in that way that only happened before something terrible. No birdsong, no rustle. Just stillness. I stood near the fire pit, arms crossed, watching the last embers from the scouting report burn down. The map was already burned into my mind anyway.
Lark stepped up behind me. He didn’t announce herself—he never did—but I didn’t flinch. I knew that footfall.
“It’s a bad night for secrets,” Lark said, voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, but my eyes stayed on the flames. “It’s a worse night for cowards.”
A beat passed.
“I didn’t say you were one,” Lark replied gently. “Just… you’re holding something back.”
I finally turned to him. “I want this done. I want it done *right*. And I want our people alive. That’s not hesitation. That’s a promise.”
Lark wat
