“I love you, Addy. I’ve done everything I can to keep you safe, to show you that I love you, but I don’t know the woman you’re becoming,” Elise whispered. “I only hope your commander is the man you think he is, because if you let us down tomorrow and choose him, he’s all you’ll have left.”

It shouldn’t have surprised her, given that Adelaide had always tried to see the good in everyone, believed that everyone deserved redemption, but it still hurt that she could be so foolish.

Elise knew she’d always regret walking away from her sister; she wished she’d gone to her and held her, refused to take no for an answer and listened to her instead of being so hurtful. But she couldn’t change the past, no matter how much she wanted to.

The sky was inky now, the landscape around them almost impossible to see even though her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She was slightly ahead, with Harry close beside her, and Jack and Cate were silently bringing up the rear. They’d ended up staying together, but she was starting to think it was time to pair off, anxiety clutching at her throat as she kept straining to hear whether they were alone or not. Every rustle, every murmur, sent a wave of fear through her that was greater than the last, and they had to make their way around the outskirts of a village now; there was no other way.

“We’re approaching another village,” she whispered, stumbling a little over something in the dirt. Harry caught her arm and she straightened, grateful for his quick reactions. “I think it’s best we split off into pairs and we’ll see each other at the beach at Calais.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, Oscar tucked inside it, surprised at how heavy he was to carry.

“Agreed,” three voices whispered back in the dark to her.

“Tread carefully, though,” Elise warned. “Calais was decimated weeks ago when the German tanks came through—they as good as flattened the place so you never know what could have been left behind.”

Cate whispered a kiss to her cheek, and they embraced quickly before she and Jack started to move left, and Harry took up his position by Elise’s side. But they hadn’t been parted for more than minute before a sickening crack pierced the air. Was it a gun shot?

“Jack! Jack!” Cate’s whisper was panicked as Elise ran back toward them.

They’d largely resisted the urge to use flashlights so far, but Elise fumbled with hers now and turned it on, trying to see the others. Elise and Harry saw them out to the left and started to run to catch up with them.

“What was that?” she whispered to Harry.