Ruby’s POV
We gather around a battered table, a map nailed flat and bristling with pins. Tyler traces patrol routes and weak spots. Cindy pushes back, shifts a few markers, and settles. Her senior warriors mutter, but in the end, they nod.
I listen, offer a word when asked, and point out the gaps only the desperate would try. Mostly, I watch Cindy watch him. When Tyler leans over the map or speaks, her eyes find their way back to him.
“Do whatever you have to,” she tells us at the end, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just make sure my warriors can still stand when you’re done.”
The meeting breaks. Warriors drift off in clumps, muttering about shifts and drills. I slip toward the door.
Cindy steps into Tyler’s path before he can follow.
“You should stay and eat in the house,” she sa
