A hand clamped gently over her mouth.
She looked up, heart jerking.
Marcus.
His green eyes were wide, but not surprised. He looked... calm. Too calm. Like he'd been expecting this.
"Brother Marcus..."
He removed his hand and whispered, "You shouldn't be here."
Evelisse shook her head frantically. "I know. I know."
He nodded once. Then scooped her into his arms like a sack of potatoes.
"Let's go before you need emotional therapy."
She didn't argue. She curled against his chest like a traumatized baby deer.
Fluffy, still red in the face, zipped beside them. "This is the worst side quest we've ever been on."
Marcus said nothing at first, just carried her quietly through the echoing halls. His arms were firm but gentle, and every footstep echoed like a drumbeat in her ears. Evelisse dared not raise her head, still horrified by what she had heard—what she'd almost walked into.
