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Jinny’s gaze was locked on Susan, sharp and unblinking, burning with the kind of curiosity that borders on accusation.
“I wasn’t asleep,” Jinny stated, her voice low and layered with a new, unfamiliar suspicion.
Even Xander, a silent sentinel near the smoldering fire, fixed Susan with a long, penetrating look. He offered no words, but the quiet intensity in his eyes was a question all its own.
Susan lowered herself stiffly onto her sleeping mat, her anxious gaze finally landing on Lorelei. She wet her lips, a nervous gesture, before the words tumbled out in a hushed plea. “Lorelei, I’ve… I’ve lost something important. Would you help me look for it?” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m afraid to go out there alone.”
A cold understanding settled over Lorelei, th
