Chapter 9: The Oath in Shadows
The hunters’ howls faded, but the air in the underground chamber remained tense. Kairo’s heart still pounded from the chase, the Seal’s heat a constant reminder that time was bleeding away faster than they could run.
Lysandra paced the edge of the sanctuary, her cloak dragging through the dust. The blue flames shifted with her movements, casting her sharp features in flickering light.
“You think this place will keep you safe?” Kaelen asked, scanning the walls for exits. “The Bloodbound will find a way in. They always do.”
Her lips curled. “Not unless they’ve learned the Old Tongue, and they haven’t. The wards here were carved before your kind learned to walk upright.”
Kairo stepped closer to her. “You didn’t bring us here just to hide.”
She tilted her h
