Janet didn’t pull her hand away.
She let the moment settle.
Let the weight of what had just happened sink in...quietly, deeply...before she finally lowered her hand back to her lap.
Darren rose to his feet, slow and controlled, but something felt different now.
A line had been crossed.
And he knew it.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Janet exhaled lightly, her gaze drifting back to the fire.
“There’s something else,” she said.
Darren’s patience thinned almost instantly.
“There’s always something else with you,” he muttered.
Janet didn’t react to the tone.
“Relax. It’s about the ritual I spoke of,” she continued calmly. “You want my guidance, don’t you?”
That caught his attention.
Darren’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m listening.”
Janet tilted her head just sli
