Damon’s POV
Magnus had lost the valley, lost his guards, lost two decades of careful planning in the span of a single afternoon, but he hadn't lost his life, and as long as that remained true, he refused to consider the war itself finished.
He'd retreated to a hidden outpost deep in rogue territory, nursing wounds both physical and otherwise, surrounded by the handful of loyalists who'd fled the valley alongside him rather than surrender or scatter.
"The girl is stronger than we anticipated," said Rurik, one of his remaining lieutenants, watching Magnus pace the length of the small stone room they'd claimed as shelter. "Stronger than even your research suggested she could become this quickly."
"I underestimated the effect of proper guidance," Magnus said, his voice tight with barely c
