“I know that too.”
His gaze searches my face carefully.
“You do not have to face them alone.”
“I’m not,” I say softly. “But if they see you clearly, fear will do the talking for them.”
For a moment he does not release my wrist. His thumb brushes lightly against the inside of it, where my pulse still beats faster than I would like. Every instinct he possesses urges him to stand between me and the growing crowd outside, to answer their suspicion with the kind of force demons have never been shy about using.
His jaw tightens slightly. He knows I am right.
“Stay out of sight,” I add quietly. “Watch if you must. Just… don’t intervene unless I ask.”
The golden glow in his eyes darkens for a moment, a silent battle passing behind them. Then he exhales slowly and releases my wrist.
“I will remain unseen,” he says. “But I will not be far.”
“I know.”
“And if they harm you?—”
“They won’t,” I interrupt gently.
He makes a face, something between frustration and reluctant respect.
“Very well, princess,” he says softly. “Show them how formidable you truly are.”
The bond warms faintly. I open the door. The crowd falls silent immediately.
Dozens of eyes turn toward me, some wary, others openly hostile. The path leading from my cottage toward the marsh is crowded with villagers holding lanterns and tools, their shoulders tense as though expecting something to explode at any moment.
Ravik stands at the front of the group. His expression is hard.
“About time,” he mutters.
“What do you want?” I ask evenly.
A murmur ripples through the crowd before someone steps forward from behind him. Matron Yselle. Of course.
She carries herself with the calm confidence of someone who has already decided how this conversation will end.
“Elowen Virel,” she says, her voice measured and clear. “The council requires your presence.”
“For what purpose?”
Her gaze sharpens slightly.
“To answer for the disturbances that have plagued this village.”
Behind her, villagers shift uneasily.
“You mean the fires,” I say.
“Yes.”
“And the infernal markings that have appeared on certain homes,” she continues, her eyes flicking briefly toward the square.
The sigils. So they noticed those as well. Of course they noticed them.
