Evelyn pressed the last stone into the snow beneath the cedar.
Enemy returned.
Ten seconds. No more.
The first signal told Albert’s search party they had reached shelter.
The second told them the shelter was no longer safe.
Inside the outpost, the storm had weakened enough that the broken shutter no longer rattled.
The building was still indefensible.
Edric knew the eastern window. He knew the hidden hatch. Remaining inside meant letting him choose the next angle while they protected two wounded men.
Evelyn tightened the final strap around Corporal Hayes.
He was feverish but breathing evenly.
They could not carry him into a pursuit.
“We’re leaving him?” Lucian asked.
His black coat was scraped at one shoulder and stained with old meltwater. Ravencrest red showed whenever he mov
