The trees whispered as Rhea plunged deeper into the forest. Darkness gathered around her shoulders like a cloak, but she moved without hesitation. The night no longer frightened her—it recognized her. Welcomed her.
Twigs snapped beneath her boots, the scent of moss and damp earth filling her lungs. Her pendant glowed faintly at her chest, a constant pulse of warmth against her skin, guiding her like a beacon. Each step carried weight—purpose. Eli was out there. And with him, danger.
At the edge of the forest, Lucci and Ronan waited beside a circle of other scouts. There were five in total: Garrin, grim as always, Isla’s younger sister Vira who moved like smoke, an older woman named Noma with streaks of silver in her hair and a crossbow slung over her shoulder, and Kael—the quietest of th
