The afternoon was quiet, but my mind couldn’t have been farther from it.
Lena arrived at my house with news that she had managed to contact Riley and wanted us to talk to him via video call. Her energy contrasted sharply with the heaviness I felt pressing against my chest.
Riley was starting to adjust to his new training environment. After reassuring us about his situation and explaining that, after the beating we gave the Rogue King, there hadn’t been any further attacks at the border, we decided to play a card game through a mobile app.
“Come on, Eli! How long are you going to keep hiding that secret talent for cards?” Riley teased as he shuffled the deck across the screen. He always had a joke ready, as if he truly believed humor could fix anything.
“Maybe when you stop cheating,” I
