The Sentinel's Vow
I reached into my vest, pulling out the faded photograph tucked into my notebook.
In the dim firelight, her smiling face looked like a ghost from a different life. Three years ago, when I first took the shadow assignment to keep her safe from her father’s enemies, I thought I could keep my distance. I thought I could watch her through a long-range lens, record her daily routines, eliminate threats before she ever knew they existed, and remain completely detached.
I hadn't accounted for her spirit. I hadn't accounted for the way her dark eyes burned with fierce independence, or how she fought against every cage her father tried to build around her.