Sylvia emerged from the forest with the warriors Aurelius had sent to capture Dante and Thalia. Her hair was disheveled, her armor splattered with mud from hard riding. For a moment his heart skipped as he searched the faces behind her, wondering if they had succeeded, if the two of them were prisoners.
But Sylvia and her group came out alone. No Dante. No Thalia.
The warriors who had surrounded Aurelius saluted Sylvia immediately, recognizing her authority. The lead warrior stepped forward, gesturing at Aurelius with barely concealed worry.
"Lady Sylvia, we tracked the alpha here after he escaped the keep," he said, his voice strained. "He is covered in blood and wielding the True Heart without having completed the ceremony. We fear the sword has corrupted him and we have orders to bri
