♚Archer♚
I didn’t want to deal with Yolanda, but I just didn’t have a choice. I headed down to the barn with Marcus. He had agreed to be out of sight, but close by in case I needed backup. The barn door creaked as I stepped inside, and the smell of hay and old timber wrapped around me like a heavy cloak. The stalls were empty, with the gates left open, and straw scattered across the dirt floor. Dust drifted lazily through the beams of light that cut in from the cracks in the boards and stirred only when a pigeon rustled in the rafters. The place felt still and muted, like it was holding its breath. Yolanda was seated on a hay bale near the center, wrapped in a blanket that dulled the edges of the hard lines around her. The tray beside her was empty, proof that someone had fed her, though
