Her stomach fluttered unpleasantly. Not like when Nythir was near—this was wrong.
The breeze shifted.
Silver brushed the edge of her senses—thin and familiar. Nythir’s ward. Watching without watching. The realization steadied her in a way she did not yet have language for. Even from afar, he could see past her fake smile. She focused on the warmth of his magic and relaxed a little.
“You’re quiet,” Teren said. “Am I making you nervous?”
Esther shook her head. “No. Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Horse slouching,” she said, unwilling to reveal her thoughts. “Apparently I ride like a parade.”
Teren laughed, amused but not cruel. “He seems protective.”
“Who?” she feigned ignorance.
“Tall one. Stern face. Handsome—but no competition for me.”
Esther smiled helplessly. “That describes eight people in our party.” Except for the handsome part. Nythir was the most attractive.
“Fair,” he said. “But he watches you.”
Her face heated. “He watches everything.”
“He watches you more.”
That did strange things to her chest. Her magic hummed beneath the bracelet.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she muttered.
Teren’s fingers brushed her arm—lightly, too lightly.
Esther stiffened. His touch made her skin crawl.
“You know,” he murmured, “you don’t have to stick with them all night. We could—”
He moved closer. Close enough, she felt his breath.
Physical danger announced itself. Raised voices. Drawn blades. Panic that burned hot and obvious.
This felt quieter.
A look held too long. A smile that lingered past politeness. Words that sounded kind but pressed too close to something fragile inside her. Esther had never been taught how to defend againstthis.
Resistance had never been framed as an option—only endurance. She knew how to survive discomfort. She did not yet know how to refuse it.
“N–no, thank you,” she said quickly, jumping off the log. “I enjoyed seeing the stream. I should get back to—”
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her wrist.
Her magic flared.
A single spark burst from her fingers and fizzled away like a dying ember.
The bracelet hummed softly, steady and obedient.
It kept her magic in check. It did not keep her safe. Esther realized the distinction with a chill that had nothing to do with the night air. Control over her magic did not mean control over her life.
