Lumos and Fen didn’t press them. After the moons shattered and each of them crawled out of their own nightmares, the mages only exchanged a knowing glance and gave the Guardians time. A few hours, they said, to breathe, to rest, to collect themselves.
But no one truly rested.
Emily sat by herself, her knees drawn close, staring into the fire until her eyes blurred. Her father’s voice still echoed in her head from the dream, and the sight of him alive—laughing, young, safe—was a wound she couldn’t close. She kept asking herself the same questions: Where is he now? What really happened to him? How do I find him? The ache pressed harder with every heartbeat, and she hugged her arms tighter around her body, fighting tears.
Eric couldn’t sit still at all. He paced near the walls, his mind ci
