Porcupine Ridge Numerous sections are inscribed with "ETERNAL",

Lorcan huffed softly at her words, a low sound that wasn’t quite amused but not entirely dismissive either. Dangerous? Perhaps. But he didn’t refute it, letting the weight of her statement hang between them as he settled down a few feet from her.

He tilted his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the arrangement of bones before her. I’m not going to hurt you, he said at last, his voice smooth but carrying an edge that wasn’t easily softened. It wasn’t a promise, nor an assurance—just a statement, plain and unyielding.

His shadowy form remained relaxed, but his presence was anything but. What’s the story here, then? he asked, gesturing vaguely toward the bones. You listening to them, or are they listening to you?

His tone was casual, but there was a flicker of genuine curiosity in his dark eyes. Whatever game she was playing, Lorcan wasn’t one to dismiss it outright. Not yet, anyway.