Ronan Crowe did not immediately touch Tyler.
That restraint was deliberate.
Tyler understood it the moment he felt the shift.
The compound didn’t tighten the way it had when Mara was taken. There were no visible clamps. No dramatic seizures of authority. Instead, small things began to change around him. Familiar guards were reassigned. Messages meant for him arrived late or not at all. Doors that had always opened now required confirmation.
Isolation, but polite.
Lyra noticed it before he said anything.
“You’re being edged out,” she said quietly, watching a runner hesitate before handing Tyler a sealed note.
Tyler took the message, eyes flicking over the seal. “He’s narrowing my radius.”
“Yes,” Lyra replied. “He’s testing how much I notice.”
Tyler’s jaw tightened. “And how much yo
