The next morning, the forest felt different—quieter, but not calm. It was the stillness before a storm, the kind that made your bones ache and your instincts scream. I couldn’t shake the sensation that we were walking straight into a trap, but I also knew we had no choice. If Kael and Mira were right, the sanctuary was the last stronghold of the old blood, and it might be our only hope.
We moved in a tight formation: Selene and Kael ahead, scouting, Mira and I in the center, and Alistair bringing up the rear. The bond between Alistair and me hummed steadily, a constant thrum beneath my skin. His presence felt like armor—comforting, powerful, dangerous.
But danger was coming from more than just outside.
“Do you feel that?” Mira asked, slowing to walk beside me. Her dark eyes searched the
