While I was speaking with Dawson, Brady stood silently nearby, his expression calm and unreadable.
But just as we began to let our guard down, the burly man, Brady, suddenly lunged forward, slamming his shoulder hard against the camp gate.
Our gate, constructed from wood and vines, wasn't particularly sturdy. Under the force of Brady's violent impact, it shook dangerously. If not for the two wooden beams bracing it from behind—and Kayla's sharp warning—Brady might have broken through entirely.
Sensing the hostility radiating from the other side, Julia didn't hesitate. She released the string of the makeshift crossbow without a second thought.
The taut string snapped back with a sharp twang, and the tension in the bent branch unleashed its force, propelling the sharpened wooden projecti
