The moment Nhel disappeared into the dark line of trees, the forest seemed to exhale.
Not relief.
Something more like anticipation.
Anisha didn't move at first. She stood there with her hand still slightly raised, as though she could catch the echo of his presence if she stayed still enough. The wind tugged at her cloak, colder now, more insistent, but she barely felt it.
Juliana returned a few minutes later, stepping out from between the trees with narrowed eyes.
"He's gone again, isn't he?"
Anisha didn't answer immediately. Her throat felt tight, as if words had lodged somewhere they couldn't escape.
"Yes," she said at last.
Juliana studied her carefully. "And you're pretending that doesn't bother you."
"I'm not pretending anything."
"That's worse," Juliana muttered, walking back toward her. "Because it means you actually believe you can handle this."
Anisha finally turned away from the trees. "We don't have time to think about it."
