Kaelin sat in the dim glow of the war chamber’s hearth, the quiet crackling of flame the only sound breaking the silence. The map before her had been redrawn twice in as many days. The political landscape was shifting faster than she or her advisors could track. The Eastern Independents had moved into alliance with the Western Clans, and Serin’s betrayal had sent shockwaves through the court.
Theron entered quietly, his movements fluid, eyes alert. He placed a report on the table and sat beside her. “Another outpost down,” he said. “Burned.”
Kaelin’s jaw clenched. “Any survivors?”
“Only two. And they both speak of shadow-walkers — creatures wrapped in smoke that strike from nowhere.”
Kaelin stared at the flickering flame. “This isn’t just war. It’s a campaign of fear.”
“Yes,” Theron s
