The moon hung low in the sky, its silver glow casting a haunting luminescence over the stone courtyards of the Emberfall Pack. Ivy stood alone on the balcony of her chamber, arms folded tightly against her chest. Her flameborn aura pulsed low, quiet, as if sensing the uneasy silence that blanketed the land.
Below, the pack was restless. Warriors trained late into the night. Mothers ushered children indoors. The air crackled not with magic, but with the weight of something approaching.
War.
“Ivy.”
She didn’t need to turn. Kael’s voice was all she needed to breathe again. She kept her eyes on the horizon. “They’ll be here soon.”
Kael stepped beside her, silent for a moment. His hand brushed hers, grounding her, offering silent strength. “We’ll be ready.”
She shook her head. “No one’s e
