Cecil and Aedan pushed through a thicket of ferns and stepped into a small clearing.
Grove Greene and Katia Ramsey were standing a few feet away, arguing. Leo Vance was standing off to the side, looking uncomfortable.
Grove looked up as they emerged. His eyes immediately went to the scratch on Aedan's cheek. A slow, mocking smile spread across his face.
"Well, well," Grove said, his voice loud enough for the cameras to pick up. "Looks like the little rich boy can't even walk through the woods without getting hurt. Need your girlfriend to kiss it better?"
Aedan's hands balled into fists. The humiliation of the past few hours boiled over. He took a step forward, his teeth bared. "Say that again, you washed-up hack."
Cecil moved. She didn't get in front of him; she simply placed a hand on his chest. It was a light touch, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Aedan stopped dead in his tracks.
She looked at Grove, her gaze sharp and unyielding. "I would rather trust my instincts than follow a lost gentleman who relies on his ego."
Grove's smile faltered for a second. He hadn't expected her to bite back. He recovered quickly, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Feisty."
Katia stepped forward, her face a mask of sweet concern. "Guys, let's not fight. We're all stuck out here together. Why don't we just work as a team?"
Aedan shot her a look of pure disgust. The woman who had ruined his life was offering a truce. It made him sick.
Leo nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea, Katia. Safety in numbers, right?"
Cecil studied them. She wasn't looking at their faces; she was looking at their hands. At Grove's hand.
He was wearing a large, silver ring. As he spoke, his thumb was rubbing the band, a nervous, repetitive motion.
Every time his skin touched the metal, Cecil felt it. A tiny, almost imperceptible pulse of dark energy. It was a leech's heartbeat. It was the same feeling she had sensed when she touched Aedan's chest. The stolen light.
The alarm bells in her head turned into a siren. This man wasn't just an actor. He was a thief. And he was carrying the weapon.
Cecil made her decision in a split second. She needed to get closer to that ring.
"Fine," she said, her voice flat. "We cooperate. But I lead."
Grove raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He looked her up and down, a hungry gleam in his eyes. "A woman in charge. I like it. Lead on, my lady."
Aedan leaned in close to Cecil, his voice a harsh whisper. "Are you crazy? That's Katia! She set me up! She'll stab us in the back the first chance she gets!"
Cecil didn't break her stride. "I know," she said softly. "But to catch the wolf, one must sometimes walk with the sheep."
Aedan stared at her, stunned. She had called him part of the hunt. Not a disgrace, not a dog. A hunter. It was the first time anyone had ever seen him as anything other than a screw-up.
Katia fell into step beside Cecil, trying to charm her. "I love your coat. Is it vintage? And your skin! What's your skincare routine?"
Cecil didn't look at her. "Sleep. And minding my own business."
Katia's smile tightened, a flash of irritation in her eyes. She huffed and dropped back to walk with Leo.
The group walked in tense silence for another ten minutes. The trees grew thicker, the shadows longer.
Cecil stopped. She pointed to a massive, ancient oak tree, its trunk wider than a car. "There," she said.
Everyone looked. Nestled in a hollow at the base of the tree, glowing with a soft blue light, was the beacon.
Grove stared at the beacon, then at Cecil. He hadn't even taken out his map. "How did you know?" he asked, his voice smooth but his eyes calculating.
Cecil ignored the question. She was watching Grove's hand. The thumb was rubbing the ring again.
Grove looked at Cecil, his smile not reaching his eyes. The greed was there, plain as day. He wasn't just interested in the game anymore. He was interested in her.
