Aurora turned back toward the others as she added, "Most importantly, I'm not planning to fight them on their terms. I'm creating the conditions under which they'll reveal themselves."
Kellen still looked unconvinced. "So you expect us to simply leave you?"
"No." Aurora said, stepping closer. "I expect you to trust me."
That sentence finally made them quiet.
Her voice softened as she asked, "If we don't catch whoever is behind this now, what happens next?"
Nobody answered.
"We keep watching our backs." She looked at each of them. "Every time one of you leaves the settlement, we'll wonder whether another attack is coming. Every time a group of disciples travels home, we'll wonder whether someone is following them. Every strange demon beast sighting will become suspicious. And if we are right about someone deliberately causing these attacks, then more tribes are going to suffer."
The men remained silent.
