Ariane:
The moment I opened the door, I knew something was wrong.
Fenrin stood on the other side, soaked in sweat and mud, her clothes torn and stained dark with blood and ichor. Behind her were Saga, Bruin, Rook, and Ridge—each just as battered. Bruin’s eye was swollen shut, Ridge limped, and Rook looked like he’d coughed up smoke.
They didn’t speak at first. They just pushed past me, dragging themselves into the kitchen like men who had clawed out of a grave.
Fenrin dropped into a chair and grabbed the coffee pot with shaking hands, pouring it into a mug like it was the only thing tethering her to the world.
Saga was already tearing into a loaf of bread with bloodied fingers. Rook didn’t even sit—he leaned against the counter, panting like he couldn’t get enough air.
“What happened
