She glanced at Eyrx, her lips curling into a smile that was both grateful and bright. It felt good—no, comforting—to know that he had trusted her through all of this.
For a moment, she'd almost expected him to stop her, to tell her to stay behind while he took on the danger alone. That was how things usually went.
Men in this world seemed to think females were weak, that their place was to eat, sleep, and give birth. Simple.
And... could she really blame them? Most of the women didn't bother to speak up. Hell, some even seemed to enjoy it, the way they let the men take charge, as if that was all they were good for.
But looking around now, at the strange creatures creeping forward, Thalina felt a shift in the air. Something was changing.
She turned to Eyrx, her voice laced with concern. "What are these creatures? Where did they come from?"
Her eyes caught his, and for the first time, she saw something unfamiliar there—worry. Real, raw worry.
And that shook her.
