The lower ridge held denser cover and a shallow overhang of stone that broke aerial lines of sight. Vale sealed the residual spatial scar of the hop as completely as field conditions allowed. The signature would still be readable to a specialist who knew where to look, but it would not serve as an immediate beacon.
Feng Lan was lowered to a sitting position against the overhang. Her channels remained in shock from the isolation backlash. The residual burn had spread in thin branching lines along the side of her neck and down the back of her right hand. Seraphina continued low-level stabilization without attempting anything aggressive enough to create a new signature. Elizabeth checked pupil response and residual energy flow with the same clinical precision she used on critically strained officers, then gave a short confirmatory nod that travel was still possible if supported.
