ISLA
I felt Petra’s hand on my elbow for exactly two seconds before she removed it.
She didn’t say anything. Didn’t need to. That brief, careful pressure said everything.
Be careful, be smart, be whatever you need to be right now.
And then it was gone, and I was on my own.
I looked back down at the man in the training yard.
He hadn’t moved. Arms still crossed, scar still catching the morning light, eyes still fixed on me with that watchful patience. Like he had all the time in the world and had specifically allocated some of it to this.
Eight years as Jaxon’s invisible partner had taught me one thing above everything else: the moment you looked away first, they owned you.
So I held his gaze.
“Good morning,” I called down. My voice came out steadier than I expected.
Something sh
