The café sat on the quieter edge of Whisperden, tucked between a florist and a closed-down bookstore, the kind of place people went when they wanted to be seen without actually being noticed. Warm light spilled through the windows despite the overcast afternoon, soft jazz playing faintly from inside.
Kade sat across from Marla, his fingers loosely wrapped around his mug.
She looked normal. Too normal. Not the kind of girl with an agenda at the back of her mind. What is she planning?
Her red hair was pulled into a loose braid over one shoulder, a few wisps framing her face. No sharp edges today. No bitterness. Just an easy smile and relaxed posture, like this was nothing more than two people catching up after a long time apart.
That alone made his shoulders tense. That, and Esther’s war
