Lorelei
The sounds of the forest enveloped me as I moved deeper into the trees alone.
I gripped the rope Xander had given me and flung it upward, catching a sturdy branch above.
With practiced ease, I began climbing. Years spent among rogues had taught me to move silently, efficiently. A rustling sound caught my attention from behind, and I froze mid-climb, my body suspended in the air.
I hooked one leg over a branch, my muscles tensing as I held perfectly still, eyes fixed forward.
A snake—thick as my forearm—slithered from between the leaves, lunging toward my neck in a flash of red scales.
My hand shot out, catching it mid-strike. Without hesitation, I hurled it down onto the rocks below.
The snake landed with a sickening THUD, its body writhing as it attempted to
