Chapter 18
The silence after the rogues vanished felt heavier than the battle itself. The mist clung to the forest floor like ghostly fingers, and the scent of blood and damp earth filled the air. I stared at the space where they had stood, my hands still trembling with residual energy.
Damien moved first, rushing to the clearing where the bodies lay. His sharp intake of breath told me everything. I followed, each step feeling like I was walking through deep water.
Six warriors. Members of the eastern patrol. I recognized Marrok’s grizzled face, frozen in a snarl even in death. Elena, the youngest of the sentinels, lay with her eyes open to the gray dawn sky. My stomach twisted.
"They were overpowered quickly," Selene murmured, kneeling beside Marrok’s body. Her fingers hovered over th
