Grace
The words hung in the frozen night, heavier than the mountains that loomed beyond the valley.
Some of them aren’t just people.
Grace’s breath caught, fogging the air between them. She stared up at Kaleb, searching his face for some sign that he was joking. But there was no humor there, no flicker of a grin. His jaw was set, his eyes dark and steady, and for the first time since she’d met him, she saw something raw at the edges—an ancient weariness, as if the truth had been clawing at him for too long.
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. “What does that even mean?” she whispered.
Kaleb didn’t look away. “It means this place isn’t as simple as you think.”
“That’s not an answer.” Her voice cracked, half from fear, half from frustration. “Are you trying to scare me?”
“No.” T
