Adam's hand tightened on his dagger as the footsteps grew closer—light, deliberate, unhurried. He raised his free hand in a sharp gesture.
"Alert," he whispered. "Something's coming. Stay alert."
Lilith paused mid-bite, a strip of roasted venison still between her teeth. Juice glistened on her lips, and for a moment she looked utterly un-elegant—cheeks slightly puffed, eyes narrowed in suspicion. She swallowed slowly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, but didn't drop her guard.
Ignis, grease shining on her chin and fingers, froze with a massive chunk of meat halfway to her mouth. Even in her wary crouch, she kept chewing mechanically, golden eyes flicking toward the darkness beyond the firelight. A low growl rumbled in her throat, barely audible.
*Only one set of footsteps,* Adam thought, Tri-Sense painting a clear picture. 'Human. Who the hell wanders alone in these woods at night?'
The figure stepped into the ring of firelight a moment later.
