The Morning After
Dawn spread pale fingers across the foothills, but Lena felt no warmth in it. She woke with the taste of ash still on her tongue, the echo of dreams gnawing at her bones.
Dominic stood a short distance away, his cloak wrapped tight around him, speaking quietly with two scouts. He looked solid, resolute as always—but her mark thrummed each time he moved. It wasn’t pain, but a pulse that carried warning, like a bruise pressed too hard.
She narrowed her eyes, searching for what had changed. His voice carried the same steadiness, his posture the same iron. Yet there was a flicker, a hesitation so subtle no one else would see it. But Lena felt it, deep in her blood.
Kael was watching her. Of course he was. His smirk curved sharp when he caught her staring at Dominic. He le
