Digging for answers

[Nora Saint-Clair]

Nora stared at him, arms still crossed but her fingers now gripping at the fabric of her sleeves like she needed something to hold on to. He said the words. Just a headache, nothing more, no visions, no voices, but none of it reached her the way it was supposed to. Not when his eyes looked like that. Not when he winced just from focusing.

She gave a tight nod, not because she believed him, but because she needed him to think she did. Just enough to get him to move. There were things she couldn’t say here. Not in an Atharim property. Not with the walls probably listening, even if they didn’t have ears.

He was asking what had her so concerned, and it wasn’t the headache. Not just the headache.

She stepped toward him, lowering her voice and glancing once, sharply, at the door.

“Let’s just… go back to the apartment,” she said. Calm, but urgent. Her tone made it sound casual, like she was offering to call it early for the night. But she was already gathering her things, already pulling her bag over her shoulder. “You need to lie down, and I need to not be here anymore.”

The laptop closed with a soft click. The glyphs, the prophecy, the spinning wheel. They could wait. Claude couldn’t.

She didn’t wait for his agreement. Her hand hovered near his arm, not quite touching, but close. Ready. Urging.