Torchlight stabbed through the gaps in the timber.
The light was harsh and orange, cutting through the darkness in jagged lines. I saw the shadows of the hunters before I saw the hunters themselves—three figures, maybe four, their shapes distorted by the flickering flames. Then the wood splintered and they were through.
Sera moved first. She kicked the false wall outward into the faces of the lead hunters and followed with steel. The timber slammed into the first man's chest, sending him staggering back into the second. Sera's blade found the gap between his armor plates before he could recover. Darius was half a step behind her despite the injured leg. The bond flared hard as he took the first impact; I felt the jolt in my own bones and answered by opening the connection just enough to
