Chapter 388: Judgment Beneath the Crescent
At the same time
Silence ruled the clearing.
Not the comfortable kind — not the quiet that came with snowfall or distant wind — but the kind that pressed into the lungs and made every heartbeat feel too loud.
Orion's gaze locked onto Holly.
There was no warmth in his eyes like she hoped for. No acknowledgment that she was his. What stared back at her was cold focus, sharpened into something dangerous and predatory.
The kind of stare that made prey forget how to breathe.
A ripple of unease moved through everyone gathered, trainees and examiners alike. Someone swallowed audibly. Another muttered under their breath, barely loud enough to carry.
"Holly's in trouble."
Holly heard it.
Her bravado wavered like a flame in sudden wind.
She straightened instinctively, shoulders pulling tight, jaw locking as though posture alone could protect her. The bandages binding her wrists seemed suddenly heavier.
