It was probably because he was enjoying intimidating anyone he caught staring. He was also more comfortable around me—around all of us. Maybe it was because he’d been playing poker with us or maybe he was softening around the edges. I wasn’t sure, but I did know it had to be his actions that were keeping the Trackers and Tresez away. He was growing on me, whether I liked it or not. Whatever his intentions, I’d found myself becoming attached to him in an odd friendship I didn’t understand. He’d been somewhat cruel and cold at first, but now it was as if I was seeing the real Maes—the one he’d kept hidden from others. Even his comment before we’d left was meant to be funny; I was sure of it. Callon only allowed me to enter a single store alone, as all four guardians paced around the entrance, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Besides the constant threat of danger, there was also the trust issue. They were still unsure if I’d make a run for it.
