Jadon kept her arms around Christa until the trembling eased. Only then did she pull back enough to look her in the eyes.

“You don’t ever apologize for surviving,” she said softly, but with a strength that left no room for argument.

Christa nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Her breathing steadied, but her eyes still darted around the trees like shadows might leap out at any moment.

Evan stepped closer, his voice gentler than usual. “Let’s get back to the training ...