Chapter 31: Planet Novalis
"Ava, there's a problem."
The words dropped into her head so suddenly she almost tripped on the path leading back to the cabins. She blinked, adjusting her grip on the small blanket she'd been carrying, and glanced sideways as if she could catch Cream Puff hovering beside her like a person instead of just a voice in her mind.
"What do you mean, problem?" she whispered under her breath, careful to keep her tone light. A few paces ahead, her friends and family were chatting in small groups, their laughter weaving through the cool night air. No one seemed to notice her pause—except maybe Theodore, who had a habit of glancing back whenever she fell behind.
"This conversation is best continued in private," Cream Puff said, tone clipped in a way that made Ava's stomach tighten.
Private. Right. The others didn't need to hear this—not yet.
