Page 39 of Crown of the Mist (The Ether Chronicles #1)
The key ring feels heavy in my pocket as I pace the sidewalk outside Bree's building. All those keys, given to us "for emergencies." Each one a sign of trust that we've somehow broken.
Gray's words echo in my head from our hasty planning session: "No confrontation. No pushing. Just make sure she's safe."
Easy for him to say. He's not the one watching her slip past with her head down, shoulders hunched, looking right through me like I'm not even here. At least we'd managed to time the shift changes with her work schedule. Small mercies.
Three days of this. Of waiting. Watching. Taking turns standing guard while trying to look like we're not standing guard. My usual charm feels useless here - there's nothing funny about the way she flinches when she sees us, nothing lighthearted about the shadows under her eyes.
Movement catches my attention - Mrs. Chen from 2B, giving me that suspicious look again as she waters her window plants. I flash my most winning smile, the one that usually gets me out of trouble.
"Beautiful morning for gardening," I call up, ignoring how my voice carries a bit too much forced cheer.
She mutters something that sounds distinctly unimpressed before disappearing back inside. Can't blame her. I probably look suspicious as hell, pacing the same stretch of sidewalk for hours.
"Real smooth."
I turn to find Theo approaching, coffee in hand. My relief must show because he smirks slightly as he passes me one of the cups.
"You're early," I say, though I'm grateful for both the caffeine and the company.
"Couldn't sleep." He leans against the wall, his sharp eyes scanning the street with practiced ease. "Any movement?"
"Light's been on since four." I try to keep my tone casual, like I haven't memorized every flicker of her window. "She's getting ready for her shift."
Theo nods, taking a slow sip of his coffee. Neither of us mentions how we've all got her schedule memorized now. How we've arranged our lives around making sure someone's always here, always watching.
The mist drifts lazily around our feet, thicker than usual this morning. It's been doing that more lately - gathering around the building like it's trying to shield her. Or maybe trying to tell us something we're too dense to understand.
"You seen Phil?" Theo asks quietly.
"Not since yesterday." My fingers curl into a fist at the memory. "Rhett's warning must have stuck."
"Or he's just getting smarter about hiding."
Before I can respond, the front door opens. Bree steps out, already in her scrubs, her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun. She freezes when she sees us both, something flashing across her face too quick to read.
"Morning," I try, keeping my voice light. Careful. "Beautiful day for a walk to work."
She doesn't answer, just pulls her bag closer to her chest and starts walking. I fall into step a few paces behind her, giving her space while staying close enough to intervene if needed. Theo hangs back, probably heading up to take his shift watching the building.
The silence stretches between us, heavy with all the things I want to say. We love you. We'd never hurt you. Please come home.
Because that's the thing - we do love her. We're in love with her. All of us. And we have been since the moment we laid eyes on her. It wasn't something that grew. It was a knowing. A bone-deep knowledge that she was ours and we were hers. We were just too stupid to admit it.
But I don't say any of it. I just walk, counting the cracks in the sidewalk, watching how the mist seems to follow her like a loyal pet. Three blocks to Maple Grove. Another day of standing guard while she takes care of others and ignores herself.
"You don't have to do this," she says suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, we do." The words come out fiercer than I mean them to.
She doesn't respond, just walks faster. I match her pace easily, my longer stride keeping up without effort. The mist swirls around our feet, and for a moment - just a breath - I swear it forms patterns I almost recognize.
We've always protected her, something whispers in the back of my mind. The thought feels both foreign and achingly familiar, like a half-remembered song.
I shake it off as we approach Maple Grove. Bree pauses at the entrance, her hand tight around the strap of her bag.
"I'm safe here," she says, still not looking at me. "You can go."
"I'll be around." I try for casual but probably miss by a mile. "You know, if you need anything."
She doesn't answer, just disappears inside without a backward glance. I find my usual spot - the coffee shop across the street with the perfect view of both entrances. The barista knows my order by now, knows to keep the refills coming.
My phone buzzes - the group chat we've set up for exactly this.
Gray: Status?
Jace: At work. No signs of Phil.
Rhett: Taking next shift. Update if anything changes.
I pocket the phone, settling in for another long day of watching and waiting. The mist lingers outside Maple Grove's entrance, thick enough that other people seem to unconsciously step around it.
Some part of me knows we can't keep this up forever. That eventually something has to give.
I just pray it's not her.