The cavern had barely settled into silence when the pounding of hooves echoed from outside. The warriors stiffened, weapons raised instinctively. Damian was already on his feet, his blade half drawn, while Kael prowled toward the cavern mouth like a predator scenting fresh prey.
“They’re fast,” Kael muttered, his sharp grin never quite reaching his eyes. “The fire’s barely out, and the vultures are circling.”
“Not vultures,” Damian corrected coldly. “Envoys.”
Zaria, still seated against the stone wall, pressed her palms to her knees and forced herself upright. Her body trembled, exhaustion coiling through every nerve, but she refused to let it show. A Queen did not falter when the world came knocking.
The sound of hooves ceased, replaced by the sharp rhythm of boots on stone. The warri
