Page 286 of May: Bloom & Bane

A shadow slips beneath my feet, cushioning the floor before I can take a single step.

Ashán quietly clears his throat. “... That wasn’t me.”

A patch of moss blooms beneath my feet.

Sage pointedly avoids my gaze. “... Nor I.”

“Right,” I drawl, crossing my arms over my swollen stomach. “So Nook is doing all of this. Got it.”

Neither of them says a word. Both suddenly become deeply invested in adjusting the curtains.

“I am going down the hall,” I announce slowly, taking one deliberate step.

The shadow glides with me. The moss arches into my soles.

“That’s it.” I point toward the door. “Get out. Right now!”

“Okay, okay,” they murmur. “We’re going.”

“Mhm.”

They shuffle toward the doorway with the enthusiasm of two children being sent to time-out, glancing over their shoulder the entire way as if I’ll change my mind.

Ash pauses. “Can we leave the door open?”

“Just a little?” Sage adds.

“No.”

“Cracked?”

“No.”

“What if⁠—”

“No!”

I count under my breath.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

A pair of glowing mismatched eyes peek around the doorway.

“That’s it. I’m leaving.”

“Ash’kaela…” Ash says, sounding genuinely alarmed. “You cannot leave the safety perimeter.”

“If you don’t back up and give me space… I will eat your perimeter.”

“You can’t eat a perimeter.”

“Watch me.” I jab a finger in their partially shifted chest. “And if you two think I don’t know you’re talking about me in that thick little skull of yours, you are sadly mistaken.”