The forest thickened around us as we left the lodge behind. Snow weighed down the branches, and the air tasted metallic again. The mark pulsed under my palm with a steady sting that crawled up my arm. Ember’s presence flickered through my chest like a distant heartbeat.
Felix walked so close to my right side that his sleeve brushed mine with every step. Nathan kept to my left, his strides long and tense, jaw clenched. Leah followed behind us, muttering spells under her breath, hands glowing faintly as she tried to track the direction the corrupted man had pointed toward.
None of us spoke at first.
But it did not last.
“This is ridiculous,” Nathan said finally. “Felix, stop walking on top of her.”
Felix did not even look at him. “She is unsteady. I am keeping her upright.”
“I can see
