Cassius kicked his own war table so hard it cracked down the middle.
"Grath," Cassius said, voice flat with disbelief. "It's Grath. Scouts confirmed it just now."
Kane looked up fast. "I thought he was still locked up."
"So did I," Cassius said. "Apparently he escaped during the chaos of the final battle. Nobody noticed until now because nobody was counting prisoners while the world was ending around us."
Talyn's jaw tightened. "And now he's gathering fighters around a piece of the First Voice's power."
"That's what the scouts say," Cassius confirmed.
Kane rubbed his tired eyes. "Do we know why."
"Not yet," Cassius said. "But knowing Grath, it's not simple greed. He always believed he was doing something necessary, even when it was wrong."
They rode out within the hour, a smaller g
