Chapter Twenty
The valley below was alive with movement, but Lyra felt a strange calm settle over her. From the terrace of the stronghold, she could see small groups of Ironholt and Southridge forces shifting like shadows among the trees. The fog made their numbers look smaller than they were—a trick that worked in her favor.
Cain stood beside her, silent, a presence that pressed against her awareness. His gaze swept over the valley with sharp calculation, but it kept drifting back to her. There was fire in his eyes—danger, desire, and something that made her pulse race.
Elias leaned against the railing, one hand brushing hers almost accidentally, teasingly. “They’re moving faster than usual,” he said softly. “They think they can catch us off guard. They don’t know who’s in charge.”
Ly
