“She’s been marked.”
“So Twobble was seeing his shadow follow them that night…” My voice trailed off, and I looked over at Krina, who looked more at ease than I’d seen before.
It almost stopped me.
Because I knew what I was about to do would take that smile away, at least for now.
But I also knew it had to be done.
I moved toward her, careful not to draw attention, and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
She looked up, startled, then her expression softened when she saw me.
“Can I borrow you for a moment?” I asked, my voice quiet.
She nodded without hesitation and set her mug down before standing.
Mara barely paused in her storytelling, already turning to pull Mys into the narrative with a theatrical gasp. I led Krina through a side corridor and into the small gallery room off the hall.
When I closed the door, she turned to face me, brows drawn.
“Something’s wrong,” she said immediately.
I nodded. “Yes.”
I didn’t pace. I didn’t try to soften the situation. I just stepped closer and said what needed to be said.
Keegan’s words echoed in my mind. She’s marked.
I took a breath. “Your ex… he’s here.”
Her face stilled. There wasn’t a flinch or a twitch. Instead, a quiet sort of freezing that only someone who’s had to survive real danger could manage.
“In Stonewick,” I clarified. “He’s staying at the inn. He’s been asking questions. Looking for things. For you.”
She blinked once. “How long?”
“Only since yesterday that we know of. He must have found a thread recently, some trace, or a tether.”
She swallowed hard, her throat moving slowly. “I didn’t know. I didn’t think he could… that he would find mehere.”
“I don’t think it normally would, but with his talents, he was able to get close.”
I didn’t bother mentioning that Twobble saw his shadow trailing them last night. That would only worry Krina more.
“He’s using whatever magic he had on you to track you. Maybe there was something hidden or something old to keep you within reach.”
Krina turned away, pressing her palms to the windowsill, staring out into the night beyond.
“I should’ve known it wasn’t over,” she whispered. “Even when I ran. Even when I buried everything I owned that he’d ever touched, even then he found me…”
“Itisn’tover yet,” I said, walking to stand beside her. “But itcanbe.”
She looked at me, her eyes glossy but dry. “How?”
“We find the tether. We sever it. For good.”
“Can it be done?”
