The air was thick with tension as Kara stood atop the castle’s outer wall, staring at the darkened landscape beyond the Vampire Kingdom. The looming ruins of the Old Fortress sat in the distance, barely visible in the eerie glow of the moon. That was where the rogues were gathering. That was where she would lead a battle that could decide the fate of the fragile alliances being built.
She exhaled, gripping the hilt of her blade. Why her?
She wasn’t a leader. She wasn’t some grand warrior destined for glory. She was an exile. A half-breed. A woman torn between two worlds, both of which wanted her dead.
“Lost in thought?”
Kara turned to find Sigrun standing behind her, arms crossed, a ghost of a smirk playing on her lips.
“I was just wondering how the hell I got roped into leading an ar
