Here I Am

When Ashleigh demanded that Caleb leave her with Granger, he had listened only because he didn’t want to add to her burden. But he wasn’t willing to leave them alone, not after what he had seen.

He walked away until he could hear their voices but not their words, shifting to make it easier for him to move unseen. Caleb stayed close, listening to her heartbeat as she argued, and then left Granger. He planned to leave her alone when she was safely away from that bastard, but he found himself unable to do so.

He could see the pain on her face, the sadness. He couldn’t bear to leave her alone, even if she believed she was. Caleb followed Ashleigh step for step through the trees. He stared at her from a distance, feeling like they were walking together.

She stopped from time to time, crying, or simply staring off into the sky. Caleb wondered if she called to the Goddess in those moments. What did she say?