The vehicle stopped at the airport terminal. Shade opened the door and stepped out first. We followed without a word. I walked ahead, my bag slung over my shoulder. Dalia, Deonte, and Cylan stayed close behind, all of us heading toward the terminal together. Two planes waited on the runway. Both carried Shade's insignia, marked clear and bold near the doors. It looked like he planned to get on both.
Shade walked ahead of us like everything was fine.
It wasn't.
When I started to fall back, he attempted to position himself closely at my side. I accelerated my pace subtly. I continued ahead, refusing to slow my stride or meet Shade's attempts at interaction.
Cylan looked over at me and sighed. He didn't ask questions and didn't need to. The extra plane said enough.
Shade looked toward m
