Fate betrayal

CHAPTER 26

Chapter 26: Into the Shadows

Aria’s POV

The surrounding woodland looked to be tense, with each cracking twig and rustling leaf adding to my uneasiness. Long, menacing shadows were formed by the moonlight that hardly made it through the thick canopy. With a dark silhouette that exuded silent dominance, Killian stepped in front of me.

With a deep growl in his voice, he said, "We're close."

The weight of the dagger's hilt grounded me as I tightened my hold on it at my side. "Are Veyron's rogues actually going to be present? Or is this one of his games again?

Killian's face was grim as he looked over his shoulder. Aria, rogues don't play games. They go hunting. They take lives. And the worst of them are Veyron's.

Even though his remarks made me shudder, I maintained a bland expression. I was not going to be weak—not now, not here.

In principle, the task was straightforward: investigate the deserted town outside of Killian's domain. According to intelligence, it had developed into a meeting place for Veyron's expanding gang of outlaws. In reality, it was a risk, an unproven foray into hostile terrain.

---

The air became thicker as we got closer to the village's edge, laced with the pungent smell of ash and decay. With their burnt wooden frames serving as a striking reminder of the devastation Veyron's men had already caused, the dwellings were reduced to skeleton ruins.

Killian motioned for me to halt by raising a hand. I knelt next to him and looked around, my heart thumping.

He pointed at the biggest building in the middle of the hamlet and said, "There." The rogues' base was a dilapidated stone structure that was probably formerly the town hall.

I noticed movement. Faint whispers drifted on the wind, as shadows darted across the shattered windows.

"How many do you believe are inside?" I inquired.

"Enough to cause trouble," Killian said somberly. "We must come closer."

I nodded, fighting the urge to doubt his judgment. Despite his annoying secrecy, Killian was a very good fighter. I had to believe him if he believed we could handle this.

We stayed in the darkness and proceeded in silence. Every step I took was a calculated gamble, and every crunch of leaves under my boots might be a clue. As we arrived to the building's edge and pressed our backs against the chilly stone wall, my heart was pounding.

I shook my head when Killian signaled for me to remain still. "I'll accompany you," I growled.

Although his jaw tensed, he remained silent. "Remain near. And you flee if things go wrong. Do you understand?

Despite the fact that we both knew I wouldn't abandon him, I nodded.

---

The building's inside was worse than I had anticipated. The little light from flickering flames created unsettling shadows on the walls, and the air was heavy with the smell of perspiration and blood.

The floor was coated with filth, so we walked carefully. As we got closer to a central room, the voices became more loud.

Killian's body stiffened as he looked around the bend. He gave me a stern look as he looked back at me.

"What is it?" I muttered.

"Observe for yourself."

I moved closer, taking a quick look around the room. My blood froze at what I saw.

As tattered and wild as I had anticipated, dozens of rogues occupied the room. But it was their structure, not simply their numbers, that made me uneasy. These were troops, not heedless vagrants.

A guy I instantly knew stood in the middle of the room. Veyron.

He dominated the room and was taller than I had recalled. With a predatory confidence, his piercing eyes scrutinized the assembled rogues as his silver hair sparkled in the torchlight.

With a powerful and authoritative voice, Veyron said, "Tonight is the start of a new era." "Stop hiding in the dark. We will no longer kowtow to the packs that believe they are in charge.

With a clamor of anger and devotion, the outlaws burst into applause.

They were silenced as Veyron held out a hand. "Our adversaries are feeble. split. We shall remind them of our might, even if they have become complacent. And seizing what is rightfully ours is the first step.

Killian's fingers touched my arm and drew me back. "Enough is enough," he said.

But just as we were about to depart, I was frozen in place by a startling yell.

"Intruders!"

---

All around us, chaos broke out. With their snarls resonating off the stone walls, rogues flooded into the passageway. Killian pushed me in front.

"Go!"

With my pulse racing as the sound of pursuit intensified, I dashed down the hallway. Killian followed me closely, his moves smooth and deadly as he dispatched the outlaws who approached too near.

The rogues continued after we stormed out of the building and into the open. With an unrelenting wave of rage, they rushed out after us.

"In this manner!" Killian screamed and turned to face the woods.

Our only shelter was the darkness as we swerved between the trees. Even though every muscle in my body ached and my lungs burned, I persisted.

The trees thinned ahead, exposing a sheer rock face.

"Killian!" Panic swelling in my chest, I yelled. "Where can I go?"

His attention was on the rogues advancing behind us, so he didn't respond.

We came to the brink, and I slid to a stop, looking down with my pulse pounding. The moonlight lit the stony terrain well below the steep plunge.

Killian's eyes were flaming as he grasped my arm. "Do you think I'm trustworthy?"

Startled by the intensity in his words, I glanced at him. "What?"

"Ariana, do you trust me?"

The rogues' smash through the trees became more audible. After a brief moment of hesitation, I nodded.

He responded, "Then jump," as he tightened his hold on my arm.

My throat tightened each breath. "Killian—"

He dragged me along with him before I could finish, and we dove into the chasm together.

---

As we dropped, the wind roared, tearing at my face and drowning out everything else. The world was briefly reduced to a haze of motion and darkness.

We hit the water after that.

Air was knocked out of my lungs by the hit, and I felt chilly. Gasping for air, I struggled to the surface and managed to break through.

Killian was at my side, looking up at the rocks.

Despite the pandemonium we had just fled, he replied in a firm voice, "They won't follow."

The cold water freezing my body, I coughed. "What if they do?"

His face was impenetrable as he gazed at me. "We'll be prepared then."

However, I saw something that chilled my blood as I followed his eyes back to the cliffs.

At the edge, silhouetted against the moonlight, was a man. It wasn't a rogue.

Veyron was the one.

He was grinning as well.