The warehouse was silent except for the faint hum of the wards. Harper's pulse pounded in her ears as she moved along the wall, scanning the sigils for weaknesses. Leo stayed close, his presence almost unnervingly steady.
"Left," he murmured, hand brushing her elbow just enough to guide her. "Step too far to the right and you'll trigger it."
She nodded, jaw tight. She didn't want to need his guidance. She also didn't want to admit she liked the way it felt.
A faint metallic click echoed from the far side of the room. Both froze.
"Not us," Leo said under his breath, pulling her subtly behind a rusted pillar. Shadows shifted at the warehouse's edge—then a figure emerged, tall and sharp in the half-light.
Damon.
His eyes swept the room lazily before landing on them. "Well," he said, voice smooth, carrying easily in the still air. "If it isn't Harper… and the man who never tells the full truth."
