The fresh air washed away all the grime of the world, and it would help Sophie feel nature—really absorb the living earth around her. She had used her morning runs to reflect on work tasks or upcoming missions. But much of this time had been devoted to worrying about Alyssalee. Her lover was like a stick of dynamite smoldering next to an open flame. And worse yet, Alyssalee teetered on the verge of taking spontaneous risks at any given time. Sophie often speculated why this was and could only surmise that her girlfriend flat-out despised herself. That mixed with her overwhelming need to save the world, and this created an explosive mix of ingredients.
Sophie took a narrow footpath off the main trail. Dodging the sharp claws of the overgrowth. The stream’s gentle trickle let her know she w
