I wasn’t sure when the moment passed. When we went from planning our next move to preparing for an entirely different kind of fight. But the noise in the trees wasn’t the wind. It wasn’t an animal. I knew it wasn’t. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I reached for my blade.
Cassian didn’t even flinch. He was already standing, his gaze fixed in the direction of the sound. Silent. Watching. Always watching.
“We’re not alone,” he muttered under his breath. His tone was low, controlled. He had already assessed the situation, already knew what was coming.
I wasn’t as calm. I couldn’t be. But I wasn’t going to show it. Not now. Not when we’d made it this far.
I looked at Cassian. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the trees. The moment of tension stretched between us, thick and electric.
