Chapter 21
Chapter 22: The Thread That Binds
David, Kathleen, Kaelen, and Dianne leave the cabin, with Elara staying behind to guard the seal. They follow Dianne’s map into the mountains, where the weave grows thin and the betrayer’s influence is felt. David and Kathleen share a moment of resolve, and Kaelen’s wound twinges as they approach a valley that Dianne believes holds a key to the pattern. Elara watches them go from the cabin steps, her hand resting on the doorframe, her thoughts unreadable.
David stood at the cabin’s threshold, his pack slung over one shoulder, and watched Elara’s face. She had not moved from the doorway since breakfast, her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on the grey horizon. The snow had stopped falling, but the clouds still pressed low, heavy with more to come.
“You’re certain you won’t come?” he asked.
Elara shook her head, a single, deliberate motion. “Someone has to stay. The seal is stable, but it’s not healed. If the betrayer tries to reopen it while you’re gone, there has to be a hand here to hold the threads.”
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