His body shifted automatically between me and the door.
Protective.
Focused.
Deadly calm.
Fear slammed back into me hard enough to steal my breath.
Another knock echoed upward through the tavern.
Then Trigger’s voice drifted up from below:
“Blaze!”
Hersh never took his eyes off the door.
“What?”
Trigger paused.
Then:
“Wolf’s here. And he brought company.”
12
BLAZE
The second Trigger said Wolf brought company, every muscle in my body locked tight.
Not fear.
Preparation.
I moved instantly.
One hand caught Flick’s wrist gently but firmly, guiding her backward toward the hallway leading to the upstairs rooms.
“Stay behind me.”
Her fingers tightened around the mug hard enough I thought it might crack.
“Hersh—”
“Now, Flick.”
She went quiet after that.
Not because she trusted the situation.
Because she trusted me.
And somehow that hit even harder.
Another knock rattled the downstairs tavern door.
Heavy.
