Chapter 87 You'll Never Escape

• *Xelina*
• I poke at the fire, the scent of burning cedar and dry pine needles filling the air, mixing with the faint earthy aroma of damp stone. I watch the sparks float upward, their glow like tiny stars caught in a dark sky, flickering and fading. It feels like the only light in the world right now, fragile and precious.
• My thoughts drift back to the man who helped me start the fire. He bumped into me, and the firewood crashed to the ground with a clatter. I braced myself for anger or at least a sharp word, but he surprised me. Instead, he knelt beside me, steady and calm, his hands sure as they helped gather the scattered logs.