Noah soared high above the treeline, Storm's wings beating steady beneath him, and let his mind drift the way it tended to whenever there wasn't a fight demanding his attention.
Sophie would be handling the faction right now. She always was, honestly, even when he was actually there, and he'd made his peace with that a long time ago, watching her step into that role like it had been waiting for her the whole time. Most of Eclipse already treated her as the real leader anyway, whatever his name on the letterhead said. 'She's fine,' he told himself. 'She's always fine. That's not the part I worry about.'
Lila was the part he worried about. He hadn't seen her before he left, hadn't gotten the chance, and something about that sat unresolved in his chest every time he let himself think about it too long. He could check on her, technically. Shared Awareness would tell him more than enough in a heartbeat. He didn't reach for it.
