Secrets Beneath the Ashes The forest was colder than usual. A sharp wind whistled through the trees, rattling the bare branches like bones. Caleb moved silently through the shadows, every sense honed and sharpened. He could smell the lingering traces of Tyler’s passage, but something deeper gnawed at him—something that spoke of unfinished business. Rowan had believed Tyler’s exile had ended the threat. Caleb wasn’t so sure. There had been too much coordination during the rogue attack, too many moves that suggested insider knowledge. Tyler had been the tool... but someone else had been wielding him. Someone was still out there. Watching. Waiting. And Caleb was determined to find them. --- It started two nights after Tyler’s exile. Caleb had been running patrols near the western

