The morning after the fight in the square, Eldridge Hollow woke up different. The air felt heavier, like the whole town was holding its breath. People moved faster, voices lower. Kids who usually played around the fountain were kept inside. Even the rogues who liked to laugh too loud at the Iron Moon Inn spoke in serious tones now.
I stood on the balcony of our room, wrapped in a blanket, watching the square below. Stall owners were boarding up windows. Vesper’s crew hauled barrels of oil and stacks of silver-tipped arrows toward the gates. War was no longer a rumor — it was coming.
Thorne stepped up behind me, warm and solid, arms sliding around my waist. His chin rested on my shoulder. “You didn’t sleep much.”
“Neither did you.” I leaned back into him, feeling the bond hum softly betw
