We drove in silence.
Me and Caden took the lead in our truck, a caravan of black SUVs filled with warriors and ranked members trailing behind us like shadows. I sat in the passenger seat, eyes fixed on the road ahead, trying to slow my racing heart.
Twenty minutes. That’s all it took to reach the edge of the traitors’ territory. It felt too fast and not fast enough.
When we arrived, the border guards already looked shaken—word had spread. The sight of our convoy sent a ripple through them. Their stance shifted, hands twitched near weapons, but they didn’t raise them.
Because they knew.
We parked near the gate. Caden and I jumped out first. Boots hit gravel. The air was heavy with anticipation.
The guards didn’t greet us.
They just stepped aside.
They could smell what was coming.
J
