Mara’s feet were steady on the uneven trail, even in her sandals she’d packed sensible shoes for the woods, knowing better than to show up unprepared for mountain trails.
“So what’s it like for you in the city?” Ky asked, his voice low and easy against the quiet night.
She lifted a shoulder. “It’s home. I’ve spent most of my life there. Familiar streets, familiar noise.”
“You never lived anywhere else?” he pressed.
“Not really,” she said, then caught herself. “Well, once. For a couple of years when I was in high school, my family moved out this way. Not far from here, actually. But we ended up heading back to the city.”
He went quiet for a step or two. “Didn’t like it out here?”
“No, I did,” she answered quickly, surprised by the faint note of disappointment she caught in his voice.
