The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew as I sat outside the cabin, watching birds flutter in the trees. Their carefree flight felt like a mockery of the tangled mess my life had become. I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them as thoughts swirled through my mind.
Lisa’s growing army. The elves she had manipulated. Elenora’s near-death experience.
It was all too much. I wondered what bigger temptations lay ahead, what trials would demand everything we had and still leave us wanting.
The sound of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Samuel. His scent, warm and familiar, reached me first. He settled beside me on the wooden step, his body close enough that our shoulders brushed. Without a word, he leaned his h
