Lucia’s POV
The forest at night was a living, breathing organism, its blackness wrapping around me like a frigid embrace. The fire crackled softly in the center of our modest camp, casting flickering shadows across the area. I kept my distance from the others, my eyes never wandering far from Kieran. He was a danger—a threat that walked among us with much too much confidence.
The night was silent, but my thoughts were anything but. Every glimmer of the fire seemed to trigger another memory, another doubt. I was here, standing among folks who were intended to be allies, but it felt like I was dancing on the edge of a blade.
Kieran sat aside, his back to a tree, eyes closed as if he could sleep in the midst of such stress. I didn’t buy it for a second. He seemed too calm, too at ease. I c
