Daemon just crossed his arms.

“Hey,” Sora said softly. She reached out and actually touched him.

Goose bumps immediately rose on every inch of his skin. Daemon slammed his mental ramparts up so that Sora didn’t feel his reaction through their gemina bond, and he jerked away.

He was with Fairy now. Shouldn’t that have cured him of his feelings for Sora?

Unfortunately, emotions didn’t vanish just because another one showed up and tried to take its place.

Sora didn’t know why Daemon had pulled away, though, and hurt made little spots of red blossom on her cheeks. He wanted to brush his fingers over her face and soothe the blotches away.

Instead, he scooted farther back.

“I’m sorry,” Daemon said. “I’m going through . . . a lot.” He didn’t elaborate. It was better for everyone if Sora thought it was solely about all this demigod business. Besides, he really liked Fairy, who was brilliant and brave and gorgeous, just in different ways from Sora. And that was all right. It didn’t make him a bad person to fall out of love and into another love at the same time. He was only human.

Maybe.

“I know all this wolf stuff is overwhelming,” Sora said. “And you’ve been working so hard; you need a break. We’ll start turning this site into a mini temple to pray to Vespre. Why don’t you go for a walk in the woods? Or climb a tree? You always feel better when you’re up high.”

Daemon sighed. Why did she have to be so amazing? He’d been petulant and cynical these past couple days, but she was still there for him.

But he only said, “I don’t want to leave you guys to do everything.”

“We don’t mind, I promise,” Sora said. “Go.”

He nodded slowly and got to his feet. “All right. Thanks.” It actually would be helpful to have a break. He needed to get his head on straight.

Daemon hiked a ways into the woods, closed his eyes, and listened to the forest. There was the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, like silk fans in late-autumn heat. The murmur of the river, slowing down as it prepared for winter to take it. The silence in distant parts of the woods, where tigers and other predators hunted.

What he didn’t hear, however, was the call of the sky. He didn’t feel the tug that he used to, the insistent need to climb as high as he could go. Nothing made sense anymore.

“Are you all right?”

Daemon opened his eyes. Fairy had followed him.

“Oh. Hi.” He forced himself to smile.

“Do you want company? Or did you want to be alone?” There was no flirtation in her voice, just genuine concern.

“Um, I was trying to clear my head.”