Lily continued talking.
"…and then Coach actually tried to convince half the school that the weather was responsible for our win."
Mayson nodded.
"That's believable."
"It absolutely isn't."
"It is if you've met him."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Fair point."
A smile tugged at the corner of Mayson's mouth.
Outwardly, he appeared relaxed.
Internally, every sense was focused on the tree line.
The presence remained.
Still.
Silent.
Patient.
Not moving toward them.
Not retreating.
Just watching.
That alone made it unusual.
Most people who followed others eventually did something.
They shifted their weight.
Checked their phones.
Moved position.
Breathed differently.
Made mistakes.
This one wasn't making any.
Which meant one of two things.
They were exceptionally disciplined.
Or they weren't human.
Neither possibility improved his mood.
Lily was still talking when she suddenly stopped.
"Okay."
Mayson looked at her.
"Okay?"
"You're doing it again."
He frowned slightly.
"Doing what?"
"Leaving."
"I'm sitting right here."
"You know what I mean."
Lily pointed directly at him.
"That look."
"What look?"
"The one where you're staring at me but you're actually thinking about seventeen other things."
Mayson considered denying it.
Then realized there wasn't much point.
"You counted seventeen?"
"I estimated."
"That's oddly specific."
"I'm gifted."
"Clearly."
That earned another laugh.
For a moment the tension eased.
Then Lily's smile faded.
Not completely.
Just enough to reveal the concern underneath.
"Seriously, though."
Mayson waited.
"You don't have to tell me everything."
The breeze shifted through the clearing.
"But you don't always have to handle everything by yourself either."
The words hung there.
Simple.
Direct.
Unexpectedly difficult to answer.
Because he wasn't handling everything alone.
Technically.
Adrian was involved.
Vale was involved.
Lucien was involved.
Unknown texters were involved.
A mysterious archive thief was involved.
Half the supernatural population of Broken Falls seemed involved.
The problem was that none of those options qualified as healthy support systems.
Lily watched him.
Waiting.
Not demanding.
Just waiting.
Eventually Mayson nodded.
"I know."
"You actually know, or you're saying that so I'll stop talking?"
"Both."
She snorted.
"At least you're honest."
A faint vibration interrupted the moment.
His phone.
Mayson already knew what he'd see before pulling it out.
Unknown number.
Again.
Lily noticed immediately.
"Popular."
"Unfortunately."
He looked at the message.
One sentence.
Leave the clearing.
His eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The next message arrived before he could respond.
Now.
The presence in the trees hadn't moved.
Not once.
Which meant whoever was texting him either had eyes on the clearing—
or was the watcher.
Neither option was particularly comforting.
Lily tilted her head.
"Bad news?"
"Depends."
"On?"
"Whether I ignore it."
"That's usually a bad sign."
"That's what I've heard."
His phone vibrated again.
You are not the target.
For a brief moment the world seemed to sharpen.
Every sound.
Every movement.
Every scent.
The breeze.
The grass.
The distant road.
Everything.
His gaze shifted toward the trees again.
The presence was still there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Lily noticed the change immediately.
Her posture straightened.
"What's wrong?"
Mayson looked at her.
Then toward the woods.
Then back again.
Calculating.
The text could be a lie.
It could be manipulation.
It could be exactly what someone wanted him to think.
But if it wasn't—
Ignoring it would be reckless.
And reckless mistakes tended to become permanent.
He stood.
Lily blinked.
"What happened?"
"We're leaving."
"That's not an explanation."
"It's the best one I have right now."
"Mayson—"
"Please."
The word stopped her.
Not because he raised his voice.
Because he almost never said it.
Something in his expression made her stand without another argument.
The two of them started walking toward the opposite side of the clearing.
Calmly.
Not running.
Not drawing attention.
Just leaving.
The presence remained in the trees.
Watching.
No pursuit.
No movement.
Nothing.
That bothered him more than if they had attacked.
Because it suggested patience.
Purpose.
Control.
The kind of control that usually belonged to dangerous people.
Or dangerous things.
They were nearly at the edge of the clearing when another sensation hit him.
A second presence.
His eyes narrowed.
Different.
Moving quickly.
Very quickly.
Approaching from the east.
Unlike the first watcher, this one wasn't hiding.
In fact, it seemed to be heading directly toward the clearing.
And toward the first presence.
Mayson stopped.
Lily nearly walked into him.
"What now?"
Before he could answer—
A distant sound echoed through the woods.
A sharp crack.
Like a tree branch snapping under force.
Then silence.
A few birds exploded upward from the canopy.
Taking flight.
Lily turned toward the sound.
"What was that?"
"Nothing good."
She stared at him.
"That's not reassuring."
"It wasn't intended to be."
Another crack.
Closer this time.
Then a third.
Something was moving through the forest.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Even from this distance Mayson could tell.
The first watcher finally moved.
For the first time.
Retreating deeper into the trees.
Not fleeing.
Repositioning.
Almost like—
Recognition flashed through his mind.
Like someone preparing for a meeting.
Not an ambush.
A meeting.
Which meant the approaching presence mattered.
A lot.
Mayson's phone vibrated once more.
The latest message appeared.
Only three words.
They're here.
No number.
No explanation.
No identity.
Just certainty.
They're here.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
Not fear.
Something closer to anticipation.
Because whoever "they" were—
Multiple groups had been moving pieces around the board for months.
Vale had noticed it.
Adrian had noticed it.
Lucien had noticed it.
Even the anonymous texter seemed concerned.
And now someone had arrived.
Someone important enough to make hidden watchers react.
Someone important enough to trigger warnings.
Someone important enough to announce.
The forest became silent.
Completely silent.
No birds.
No insects.
Nothing.
Lily looked around uneasily.
"Okay."
Her voice was quieter now.
"I definitely don't like this."
Neither did he.
A figure stepped from the trees.
Not near them.
About a hundred yards away.
Far enough that Lily wouldn't recognize details.
Close enough that Mayson could.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Motionless.
The newcomer wasn't looking at him.
Wasn't looking at Lily.
The stranger's attention was fixed on the deeper woods where the first watcher had vanished.
As if searching for someone.
Or expecting someone.
The stranger took one more step forward.
Then spoke.
The voice carried across the clearing with impossible clarity.
Only five words.
Yet every instinct Mayson possessed reacted immediately.
"Black Hollow remembers its own."
The silence that followed felt heavier than the words themselves.