“Bossy,” I mutter, stabbing a piece of bread.
“You’re still pale,” Aspen says. “You need food.”
Finn elbows me. Carl tries to elbow him back and hits the table instead.
“See? Told you. The twins will have my head.”
Malrik smirks. “Your breakfast plate is a disaster, Finn.”
Finn glances down at the chaotic pile of bread, eggs, and something that might be jam. “It’sorganizedchaos.”
“That’s not a thing,” Torric says.
“It is now.”
My shoulders loosen.
Just a little.
For the first time since we left the sanctuary, the group feels… almost normal.
The banter keeps going. Light. Easy.
God, I missed this.
Torric teasing Aspen about giving me his soup last night.
Finn cracking a joke about Malrik’s “resting disapproval face.”
Malrik pointing out that Finn’s shirt is on backwards.
Kieran watches silently. But there’s something softer in his eyes. Relief, maybe.
And Darian—
He eats slowly. Politely. Doesn’t speak unless spoken to.
But he’s here.
And no one’s shutting him out.
I set my fork down.
The sound is louder than I meant it to be and the table goes quiet.
Everyone looks at me.
My chest tightens. But I need to say this.
“Thank you,” I say quietly. “All of you. For what you did.”
No one speaks.
“I should have listened. I pushed too hard. I was…” I swallow. “I was wrong.”
Silence settles—thick, real.
Malrik leans forward, voice low. “We know how badly you want to find Seren.”
