The ninth day in Silver Bay began with a sky that looked bruised and heavy. Elena and Adrian had not slept. They had kept the fire burning and the lamps lit through the long night. When the first gray light entered the sitting room, both of them felt the tiredness in their bodies, yet the shared watch had drawn them closer. The broken trust of the earlier day had been repaired by honesty and by the clear presence of danger.

Adrian checked the doors and windows once more. The mud on the kitchen sill was still there. No new marks had appeared, but the sense of being watched remained strong.