POV: Lyra
I'm not actually asleep when the presence arrives.
I lie in my bedroll with my eyes closed, listening to Aphrodite settle between the twins by the fire. Listening to their quiet breathing and the soft sounds of hands finding hands. Listening to affection being shared carefully between people who are still learning how to trust each other.
It's beautiful in its own complicated way. Watching Aphrodite claim space for herself between two men who want her desperately but are learning to wait. Watching the twins choose restraint over possession.
But I also feel the presence arrive. The same warmth I sensed that night when the golden feather fell from the trees. The watcher who has been following us since we left Nightfang but only reveals himself in subtle ways.
Tonight he's closer than before. Close enough that even without wolf senses, I can feel the weight of divine attention focused on our small camp.
