Ethan checked the ground outside the dome, careful to keep his movements small.
In several places beneath the moss, thin lines of pale glow traced irregular paths through the soil, branching and reconnecting like veins beneath skin.
They were faint, easy to miss unless someone knew to look for them, but once seen, they were difficult to ignore.
Mana veins.
Everly crouched near the edge of her dome and followed his line of sight. "Veins intersect," she said quietly. "Stronger beasts tend to nest near intersections. Or hunt near them."
Ethan nodded once. "We are not sitting directly on one," he said. "But we might be close enough to feel the effects. That could explain the lights."
The air shifted.
The whisper returned, so faint it barely registered as sound. It came from more than one direction, threading itself between the trees and sliding along the edge of hearing.
