The mark Eli had carved into the tree was a symbol Rhea had traced a hundred times in her sleep without understanding why. Now, it stood before her, etched in bark and smoke, taunting and beckoning.
She stepped forward.
"Wait," Lucci said, his hand reaching for her arm. "We don't know what lies ahead."
"He left this for me," Rhea insisted. "It's not a trap. Not yet."
Ronan approached the tree, studying the gouged lines. "He left it in rogue territory. That makes it a trap."
Kael crouched beside the blackened earth. "The fire was recent. Less than an hour. They're close."
Vira's sharp eyes scanned the treeline. "I don’t like this. It’s too quiet."
Lucci's gaze met Rhea's. "We proceed. But not alone. Stay in formation."
They moved out, slow and deliberate, senses stretched to their l
