Section c

Luther stared at Luna for a long moment, his jaw tight. The words wouldn't come easily.

"I don't do well with teamwork," he said finally, his voice low. "Where I come from, trusting others usually ends badly."

She crossed her arms. "Well, you're not there anymore. You're here, with us."

"Yeah." He looked away. "That's the problem."

Vess sighed loudly from the table. "Are you two going to eat or just stare at each other all day? The food's getting cold."

Selene smiled and started setting out plates. The tension in the room eased slightly.

He sat down at the table, still not completely comfortable. "So what's the plan now? We still need to get to the capital."

"So you're staying with us then?" Luna asked, sitting across from him.

He shrugged. "Seems like the smart move. For now."

She narrowed her eyes but didn't push it. "Fine. We leave after breakfast."