KAEL
We rested till the next day. The air was thick, brushing through my skin like ghost fingers. Ravenna followed close and quiet, but her steps faltered more often now. She wasn’t saying anything, but I knew the weight she was carrying. We all were, but hers had grown heavier with each day.
I stopped, placing my hand against a moss covered tree, waiting for her to catch up.
“You’re slowing down,” I said, gently.
“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice low and clipped.
I turned fully to her. “No, you’re not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t start, Kael.”
“We’re about to walk into the worst place on this side of the continent,” I said, voice still even. “You barely eat, you keep staring off like you’re somewhere else. If we’re going to make it out alive —“
“I said I’m fine,” she snapped.
I s
