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And at the farthest edge of what I could see, something answered.

Not a face. Not a body. Not even a shape.

Just pressure. Attention. Awareness. A pull.

My stomach dropped straight through the porch, through the dirt, and probably into whatever basement Hell kept for special occasions.

“It’s not just following him anymore,” I whispered.

Bernie stepped closer. “What is it doing?”

I swallowed hard. “Responding.”

Guy’s jaw clenched. “To what?”

“To the Wards.” I stared into that awful invisible distance. “Or maybe to something in them. I don’t know. But the instant the mark mapped that second thread, something on the other end felt it.”

Knox’s hand tightened around the railing again. The wood cracked. Guy swore.

“Inside,” Bernie said sharply.

Knox shook his head once. “No.”

Guy’s head snapped toward him. “Do not start.”

“I’m not bringing this back into the middle of your house,” Knox said, voice controlled and flat in a way that made my chest ache. “That’s the most saturated point.”

Guy looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. He knew Knox was right. I hated when both MacAllen brothers were right. It made their stubbornness harder to mock.

“The cabin,” Knox said.

Guy’s mouth flattened. “Now.”

Bernie glanced between them, then toward me. “Maisie?”

I lifted both hands. “Don’t look at me like I’m the adult in the room. That’s how bad plans happen.”

“Can you still see the tether?”

“Yes.”

“Can you keep seeing it while moving?”

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Looked at Knox.

He was already looking at me, and there it was again. That infuriating blend of terror and determination that said he was two seconds away from putting himself between me and anything with teeth, claws, spells, bad intentions, or mildly suspicious vibes.

“No,” he said.

I pointed at him. “You do not even know what she was going to ask.”

“She wants you to track it while we move.”

Bernie blinked.

Guy looked annoyed.

I narrowed my eyes. “I hate when you’re smart.”