KENDRICK POV
The air stank of rot and old blood.
Not the metallic sharpness of fresh kill—no, this was deeper. Older. Like something had died inside this territory long ago, and the land never stopped remembering it.
I didn’t breathe deep.
Ahead of me, Stan lifted a hand without looking back. He was all sharp lines and silent steps, leading us down the narrow incline through the trees. The path was packed tight with pine needles, soft underfoot, perfect for sneaking in. Just like he’d promised. Rachele flanked him on the left, silent as a damn shadow, her twin’s matching snarl probably still echoing somewhere deeper in the forest with the other team.
I brought up the rear.
Because that’s where the most dangerous one belongs.
I don’t trust people at my back. Never have. Except one.
