I waited with bated breath for Dayanara to say something. The whole cave was in suspended animation as we all waited for her to respond. When she did, though … it wasn’t what I expected.

She squared her shoulders, wiped at her cheeks like she was smashing tears back into her skull, and stared straight at Lyle with a look that made the rest of us want to vanish into the stone. “Let’s get going,” she said, voice flat and cold. She stepped away from him, not even bothering to look ...