The cold thickened as we crossed into the old hunting grounds. Snow dragged under our boots in long tired lines. The mark pulsed faintly in my palm, quieter than before but no less urgent. Ember’s fear kept brushing the edge of my thoughts like a soft knock I could not answer.
Nathan walked ahead of us, the wind pulling at his shirt and hair. Every step he took looked controlled, careful, clipped. He refused to look at Felix. Not once. Not even when Felix stepped too close or shifted his weight in a way that should have drawn his attention.
Felix stayed on my right side like a second shadow. He took every uneven patch of ground first. Every low branch. Every slope. Every sound. His arm slid around my waist whenever I tripped or faltered. It felt protective. Too protective. Like I was gla
