I came down from the wall as the sky turned grey.
I’d been up there all night.
The forest was dark. Quiet.
But 20 wolves were out there.
And for the first time since I was 15, I wasn’t afraid.
I was ready.
The staff had glowed softly in my hand the entire time.
No sun. No rain. Just a heavy sky that sat on Ashford like a hand.
No one had slept.
We were already at the wall when the light came. All 11 of us. Sera and Nina had dark circles under their eyes. Jace had his wooden stick in both hands like it was a sword.
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
“They’re out there,” Toren said. His nose lifted. “I can smell them. On the wind.”
“How many?” Kael asked.
“Three. Maybe four.” Toren’s jaw ticked. “Scouts. Not the whole pack.”
My stomach dropped anyway. “Rosa said tomorrow.”
“
