Chapter 158: Welcome Home
The moon was already climbing high, silvering the treetops and turning the world outside into a painting of quiet shadows. The night air carried the faint, clean scent of pine and hearthfire. Most people were already settling in for the night.
Sophia's steps were light on the path as she made her way home. Her boots barely whispered against the pathway, though her thoughts were far louder. The torches along the walkway were lit to guide people. The flames burning bright in the night.
She had almost reached her house when she felt it.
That strange calm.
It rolled through her slowly, like a soft tide against her chest. Her shoulders eased, the knot of tension at the base of her neck unwound, and for a fleeting moment, it was as though the world had righted itself again. The pull of that familiar energy...steady, grounding, undeniably him...stirred through her like warm current under her skin.
Orion.
