“It’s okay,” I said, breathless. “I was just, uh…” I trailed off, not sure what to say.
Val offered me a tired smile. “I know,” she said, reaching out to give my elbow a squeeze. “Everyone is on edge. It’s natural to be worried about the prospect of any fight, much less one of this nature.”
If only you knew. I tried to shake off the feeling of impending doom—or shake it off enough that Val stopped giving me such a worried look. “How are you doing?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m alright, all things considered,” Val said, clasping her hands in front of herself. She sighed, glancing at the temple I’d been studying moments before. “I’ve been working with several other senior witches and warlocks to lay down the protective wards. A separate group is working on traps further into the jungle to hopefully
