[Leo's POV]
I stood frozen for a second longer than I should have, my fingers still ghosting the hilt of Tempest. The air where that tall hooded man had been standing felt cold. Not winter cold, but a static, artificial chill that made the hair on my neck stand up.
"Leo! Are you deaf?"
Mia's voice was sharper this time.
She stepped into the light of a nearby lantern, her shadow stretching long and jagged across the cobblestones. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes were narrowed in that specific way that meant I was about to get a lecture on responsibility.
"Coming," I muttered, shaking my head to clear the fog. I took one last look at the alleyway where the three shadows had vanished.
Nothing moved. They were gone.
I walked over to her, and she fell into step beside me as we headed back toward the orphanage. The kids were already ahead, their voices fading into the noise of the crowd.
"You have been weird all night. Is something wrong?" she said.
