Dawn broke grey and silent. The sun didn't burst over the horizon; it seeped through the clouds like a bruise healing. Ezra hadn't moved from his spot beside the shelter. His muscles were locked, stiff from hours of stillness. The rifle rested across his knees. The safety was off. His finger hovered near the trigger, not touching, just ready.
Ash was still asleep. Or pretending to be. His breathing was so shallow it barely moved the blanket. The grey stone of his skin was dull, absorbing the light rather than reflecting it. He was hiding in plain sight, burying his energy deep inside the earth.
Mara sat on the other side of him. She hadn't slept either. She was watching the tree line. Her hands were clenched in her lap. Knuckles white.
Tomas was perched in the branches of a grey tree ab
