The tension in the wagon had become so thick Xavier could practically taste it. Every bump in the road sent Naomi shifting against him, while Ashley's posture grew so rigid it seemed she might snap the reins in half.
Xavier checked his Soul Bond display, noting the numbers had shifted again. Naomi sat at 34%, unchanged from this morning. Ashley had jumped from 9% to 12%—not much, but considering their current circumstances, any increase felt significant.
"So, any idea what we might face between here and Hearthome?"
Naomi's fingers traced lazy circles on his chest through his coat. "Besides the usual monsters trying to eat us? I'm sure Ashley has thoughts."
"A few." Ashley's voice carried that particular edge that meant she was choosing her words very carefully. "The closer we get to Hearthome, the more patrols we'll encounter. Both theirs and... others."
"Others?"
