Matthew eventually whispered, "She's messing with us… right?"
But Leo didn't answer.
The fire crackled.
The silence stretched.
Leo's gaze stayed fixed on the place El had just disappeared into, the soft outline of her figure now hidden by brush and moonlight. His jaw tightened slightly. Something in the way she had told that story was so calm, so intimate, like she wasn't repeating a tale, but remembering it chilled him more than the story itself.
It didn't feel like a warning, he thought. It felt like a confession.
Matthew shifted closer to the fire and rubbed his arms. "Okay, that was way too good. Like, creepy-good. Like, actress-trying-to-freak-you-out-for-fun good."
He gave a nervous chuckle. No one laughed with him.
"She's just messing around," he said again, quieter this time. "Right?"
Leo finally turned to look at him. His voice was low. "She said she encountered one."
