Katie
He hesitated. His eyes searched mine. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t let me go. The struggle in his face was clear. He was torn between his duty to protect me and follow my words' authority. I felt a pang of guilt for using my authority like this, but I didn’t have a choice.
Finally, he sighed. He took a step back and gave me a reluctant nod. “If you’re certain, Miss Katie. But please, be careful.”
“Thank you,” I said with my voice soft. I offered him a small smile, hoping it would ease his worry, then turned and disappeared into the trees. The quiet of the forest wrapped around me, but the guilt still lingered.
The forest closed around me. The towering pines blocked out what little moonlight there was. Shadows stretched across the ground, and the darkness felt heavy. It alm
