As we finished breakfast, the laughter still hung in the air, light and easy between us. Leora had left us in relative peace after thoroughly embarrassing both Ciara and me with her endless teasing, but the echo of her words lingered.
I glanced at Ciara, who was absently twirling a piece of toast in her hand, clearly lost in thought.
"What's on your mind?" I asked, nudging her leg under the table.
She blinked and looked at me with a smile, the kind that melted every nerve in my body.
"Just thinking about how nice this is," she replied. "You, me, not being chased by demons or running from one mission to the next."
"Nice is a good word for it." I leaned back, stretching a little, feeling the peacefulness of the moment. But I could sense something else simmering beneath the surface Ciara was rarely so quiet, and her mind seemed to be working on something.