The quiet settles over the room like a held breath, and every pair of eyes shifts toward me. It’s gentle, careful, but it still feels like a spotlight I’m not ready for.
“What about you, Cel?” Korbyn asks, her voice soft but steady. “Where are you going?”
The question catches on something sharp inside me.
Where am I going?
The truth rises fast and cold. I don’t have an answer, I don’t even have the shape of one. I can’t go “home” because I haven’t had one in years. Not when I’ve lived out of my rig and suitcases or hotel beds that all smell of bleach and someoneelse’s perfume. I’ve slept in so many places that home and safety have become moving targets I keep missing.
I think about disappearing into a city where no one knows my face. Somewhere I could be anonymous, invisible, unremarkable.
I think about—
“Shadow Grove,” Lucian says.
My head snaps toward him.
He’s not looking at me; he’s looking at the others. He’s already decided for me and is simply informing the room. “We’re going to stay with her sister for a while. It’s quiet, isolated, and I know the area. It’s much safer than bouncing from hotel to hotel.”
The words land in my chest like something warm and solid. Not because it’s a perfect plan, but because he said it like it was obvious. Like he knew I wouldn’t want to burden my sister with my troubles and wouldn’t dare bring this to his doorstep, even though a part of me wanted to. Needed to. And he took the choice out of my hands before I could talk myself out of it.
“Yeah,” I say slowly, the word settling into place like it belongs there. “We’re going to Shadow Grove to be with Selene.”
Shiloh smiles into her mug. “That sounds perfect.”
Linkin’s grin widens like he’s physically incapable of containing it. “Tell her to save me a bed if I swing by. I’ll pretend to be your emotional support himbo.”
Korbyn snorts as Rowan mutters something about needing a permit for that. The room softens around the edges, the tension loosening like a knot, finally giving way.
Lucian leans in, his breath brushing my ear. “If Theo and Linkin are ever in the same room, the world will end.”
It’s a quiet joke, meant only for me.
Shiloh wipes at her eyes. “Okay, okay. Before we all start crying again, please remember to check in when you land, yeah? All of you.”
Linkin points at each of us like a chaotic kindergarten teacher assigning chores. “Duh. Group chat stays alive. Daily updates. Memes. Emotional check-ins. Pictures of pets. Full participation. And ‘Leste—your sister’s dog better serenade me again. I expect fresh content.”
Shiloh lifts her mug in agreement. “He’s serious. He sent me three voice notes last time demanding I make him another remix.”
Rowan nods, all business. “If anyone goes silent for more than twelve hours, I’m calling in a wellness check.”
Korbyn bumps her shoulder into mine, gentle but firm. “And you,” she says softly, “don’t disappear. Not even for a day.”
The words land warm and heavy in my chest like a tether. A reminder that even if everything else is shifting under my feet, they’re not letting me drift.
The room moves again, the energy brightening as everyone starts talking at once—hugging, teasing, making promises they fully intend to keep.
Shiloh stands first, stretching her arms overhead. “Alright, I should start packing. My flight’s at six, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll end up talking myself into flying home with one of you.”
Rowan pulls her into a hug that looks like it might crack ribs. “Text when you land.”
“Obviously.”
The rest of us say goodbye to her, each one in our own way. When Shiloh reaches me, she wraps me in a hug and presses her forehead against mine until we are nose to nose.
“You’re not alone,” she murmurs. “Not now. Not ever. Let me know if you needanything.”
My throat tightens. “I will.”
