Kieran's POV
I slipped away from Lorraine's room the moment her door closed, moving fast, silent like a shadow slipping through the halls of Lunar Crest. Every instinct in me screamed to stay, to keep my eyes on her, to never leave her side, not after the risks she had taken, not after what we had just survived. But Lorraine, she was just too stubborn and I found it so annoyingly attractive.
The night air cut across my face as I vaulted the stone wall and landed silently near the old shed close to the academy gates. The place reeked of damp hay and rusting metal, but it was quiet, out of sight, and that was what mattered. Alistair was already there, pacing like a wolf in a cage, running his hand through his blonde hair. His head snapped up when I stepped out of the shadows.
"You...." his eyes widened. "Where's Lorraine? Don't tell me you left her behind."
I leaned against the shed doorframe, arms crossed. "She's safe. For now. But we're not leaving. Not yet."
