ELLIE‘S POV
“You always do that,” I murmured, my voice barely above the crackle of the dying fire.
Jovani blinked, eyes still locked on the embers. “Do what?”
“That thing where you talk like your thoughts are a battlefield. Like you’re always bracing for impact, even when no one’s attacking.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe I am. Old habits die hard.”
The forest had never been so quiet.
The moon hung low in the sky now, veiled by threads of mist that danced lazily between the trees. The scent of pine needles and smoke drifted faintly in the air, curling around us like a second skin. The fire Maela had left was nearly gone, just glowing coals and the occasional spark. Yet neither of us had moved. Not in minutes, maybe longer.
We j
