“I back that advice,” Elara said firmly. “And I’m more concerned now, knowing he’s been spreading false stories on top of everything.”
“What are you going to do?”
Elara sat back and sighed, fingers tapping once against her mug. “I’ll talk to Aryon. We’ll decide together. We can’t act without full context, but... we’ll see.”
Then, with a shift in posture and warmth returning to her eyes, she tilted her head and smiled. The High Lady faded; her friend stepped in. “So,” she said, voice light, “he asked you on a hike?”
Beth huffed a small laugh. “I guess I owe him an apology.”
“Because you said no?”
“No. Because...” Beth took a breath, grounding herself. “You know how I get when someone in charge tells me what to do. When Bryn told me that story, it hit a nerve. I reacted to the idea of control, of being manipulated. But it wasn’t about Gael. That was my baggage, not his, and it was unfair to throw it at him.”
Elara nodded, considering. Then a spark lit her eyes. “How about this? We’ll all go on the hike.”
Beth blinked. “We?”
“You. Me. Ann, if she’s up for it. Aryon. Maybe Emma and Rick. Just a group of friends. No pressure. No date energy, just a fun afternoon out in the woods.”
Beth considered it. Weighed the pros and cons. The risk. “I like hiking.”
“So do we.” Elara grinned, practically bouncing in her seat. “This is exciting. Gael never–never mind.”
“I mind.What?”
Elara gave her a helpless little shrug. “He’s not known for dating.”
Beth blinked. “What now?Him? With the way he looks and who he is?”
“That’s exactly why,” Elara said, her smile softening.
And suddenly, Beth understood. More than ever. How much Elara and Aryon hid, how much they smoothed over, how much distance they had to keep just to live peacefully among everyone else.
“Is it the same for you and Aryon?” she asked.
Elara nodded. “We read people. Their feelings, their intentions.” She gave a small shrug. “Not everyone’s emotions are kind. Some are greedy. Some are just bad. And we live a long time, Beth. That makes you cautious. Selective.”
“You are always so good to me,” Beth said. “Like family.”
“Same reason why Gael asked you out,” Elara said quietly. “Because you don’t care about our status or what we can do. You care about who we are.”
Beth swallowed. “Now you’re making me feel all the feelings.”
“You’re welcome,” Elara grinned. She pulled out her phone. “Now. Let’s see who we can guilt-trip into hiking and when.”
Chapter 5
GAEL LOOKED UP AT THEheavy, low-hanging sky. Overcast, but it wouldn’t rain. He could always tell. The pressure in the air wasn’t the kind that burst. Just moody. Much like him.
He waited at the base of the trail, seated on a slick boulder off to the side, the morning chill biting pleasantly into his skin. It helped take the edge off. His mood hadn’t been great since the explosion with Beth the other day.
Bless Aryon and Elara for trying to cheer him up without pushing too hard. When Elara had suggested the hike up to Diamond Lake, he’d agreed immediately. A distraction sounded perfect.
What he hadn’t expected was the silence. Beth hadn’t replied to his message. Not even a polite, dismissiveThanks for the infoor aKindly go die. Nothing. And that after he’d swallowed a glob of pride the size of a mountain to even send it. He’d never had to explain himself like that before. Never had anyone throw such baseless accusations in his face, especially not when he’d already been punished for it. And especially not over Bryn.
He exhaled hard through his nose.
What stung most was how quickly she’d believed it. How easily she’d torn into him when all he’d done was try to help.
