Cora sighed and scrubbed a hand through her hair. “I am taking it seriously. I just… I don’t know what else to do.”
“You could start by not brushing this off as paranoia,” Laila suggested. “Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.”
The bell above the door jingled, and they both turned to see a young woman with a stroller entering the bakery. Cora felt a rush of relief at the familiar face and immediately stepped forward to help.
By the time the last customer left, the clock read five minutes past closing, and the street outside was empty save for a stray cat darting across the road. Cora locked the door and flipped the sign to “Closed,” then leaned against the counter with a heavy sigh.
“Grayson’s late,” Laila commented. “Doesn’t he usually show up around now?”
“He’s probably just busy,” Cora thought aloud, though she couldn’t stop the hint of unease that followed her words. Grayson was rarely late. He’d made it a point to be at the door every evening as if his constant presence alone could shield her from whatever danger lurked in the shadows.
“You’re making excuses again.”
Cora shook her head, ignoring the pit in her stomach. “I’m fine. I can get myself upstairs.”
Laila didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue. “Just…be careful, okay?”
“I always am,” Cora replied with a weak smile. She waved goodbye as Laila slipped into the back, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.
The night stretched before her, quiet and heavy, and the faint glow of the streetlights set a glow on the pavement. Cora stood at the threshold of the bakery for a moment, glancing up and down the street. No Grayson. No sign of anyone.
Her fingers curled around the strap of her bag, and she forced herself to take a deep breath. She didn’t need him to walk her twenty feet to her apartment. She was fine. She could handle this.
With one last glance at the empty road, she made her decision. She’d walk herself home.
But her footsteps seemed too loud against the pavement, and her heart pounded harder with every step. She glanced over her shoulder, trying to be subtle, but the street behind her was still empty—just shadows stretching between the buildings and the faint outline of the lampposts.
Still, the feeling persisted—a prickling at the back of her neck, like a thread being tugged from behind. She could swear she heard footsteps echoing her own.
Cora stopped abruptly, spinning around. “Hello?” she called. “Is someone there?”
Nothing. Just the distant rustle of wind through the trees. Her fingers tightened around her bag even more, and she forced herself to take a steadying breath. Laila’s words rang in her ears.Trust your gut.
Her instincts screamed at her to move. She turned and started walking again, her pace faster now. The feeling of being followed grew stronger, and her pulse raced. She felt for the tether of her magic, the familiar energy that always hummed beneath her skin, but her concentration splintered when she tried to pull at it.
“Come on,” she whispered under her breath. The magic flickered, faint and uncertain, like a flame caught in the wind. She tried again, begging herself to focus, but the fear clawing at her chest made it impossible.
A sound behind her—a scrape, like a shoe scuffing against the pavement—made her freeze. Her breath caught, and she whipped around with her hands out in front of her, her magic sparking weakly at her fingertips. “Who’s there?”
A shadow moved near the mouth of an alley. She couldn’t make out a face, just the shape of a figure lingering too close forcomfort. Panic surged through her, and the magic she’d tried to summon fizzled out entirely.
“Stay back!” she warned. Her hands trembled as she stretched them out in front of her, but the magic wouldn’t come. It was there, just out of reach, mocking her as her fear took over.
The figure stepped forward, and she stumbled back, her foot catching on the uneven pavement. Her pulse roared in her ears, drowning out everything else.
“Cora!” Grayson’s voice cut through the panic like a lifeline.
She turned toward the sound, and relief washed over her in a wave so powerful it nearly brought her to her knees. Grayson emerged from the shadows, his eyes locked on the figure near the alley. His presence was like a shield, steady and unyielding.
The stranger hesitated as if weighing their options, but Grayson didn’t give them a chance. He took a deliberate step forward, his posture radiating quiet menace. “Walk away,” he growled.
The figure lingered for a moment longer before retreating into the darkness. Grayson waited until the shadows swallowed them entirely before turning back to Cora. His blue-grey swept over her, and the tension in his jaw eased slightly when he saw she was unharmed.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded. “You should’ve waited for me.”
“I didn’t think—” she started, but he cut her off.
“That’s right. You didn’t think.” His tone was harsh, but his hands were gentle as he gathered her arms, steadying her. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What could’ve happened if I wasn’t here?”
