Page 79 of Daughter of the Serpent

She moved beside him, close enough to feel the heat of him in the crisp morning air. His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t turn.

Two days had passed since the healing quarters - since she had told him to stay away. Yet now, watching him feign indifference, pretending she wasn’t there, something twisted deep inside her.

She inhaled, steadying herself, and stepped closer.

Haldor shifted. He didn’t back away.

It wasn’t until she moved fully into his periphery that he exhaled, a quiet, reluctant sigh. Without looking at her, he murmured, “You told me I shouldn’t be seen with you.”

Something sharp pricked at her chest.

She had asked for this. Pushed for it. Yet, watching him treat her like the rest - like she meant nothing - left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She swallowed hard. Her voice was quieter when she spoke.

“Something happened.”

His gaze flicked to her. “I already heard the news.”

Sylvie blinked.

A group of her fellow sisters scurried past like startled rabbits,their hushed whispers curling through the air like mist. For a moment, she thought it was because of her - but no. They didn’t even spare her a glance.

A chill ran down her spine.

She turned back to him, her voice barely above a whisper. “Wait… what news have you heard?”

Haldor exhaled through his nose, finally turning fully to face her. His eyes held a guarded intensity. “More bodies were found dead at the forest’s edge this morning.”

Sylvie’s stomach twisted. “Who?”

“Valdor and Jara.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. The names alone carried a heavy weight. The high priest’s favored. The ones who had done the temple’s bidding and torn newborn babes from their mothers breast during the last blood rite.

She wondered who would grieve them now that they were gone.

“These attacks are getting more frequent,” Haldor continued, his voice hushed, urgent. “Some say the trials might begin sooner than we think.”

Sylvie pressed her lips together. She had her suspicions, but voicing them felt dangerous. “I don’t think it’s Karnikim,” she whispered.

His brows furrowed. “Then whom?”

She hesitated, glancing around to ensure no one was close enough to overhear. “That’s what I came here to tell you. Last night… in the forest, I saw something. A bear.”

Haldor’s skepticism was instant. “Bears aren’t unusual, Sylvie.”

“Not like this,” she insisted. She stepped closer. “I heard screams before it appeared. Agonizing,humanscreams”

His jaw worked, but he remained silent.

“I called on my magic,” she admitted, her voice barely a breath, “and then… it vanished.”

Haldor’s eyes darkened. “Then how are you still standing? If this thing was responsible for those deaths, it should have torn you apart.”

“I don’t know.”

His ice blue eyes studied her. “Did it seem aggressive?”

---