Ella's POV
The air in the war room was sharp with tension. Smoke curled from a single lantern, shadows flickering along the stone walls like ghosts. A large map sprawled across the table, weighted down by knives and stones, every inch marked with coded glyphs, red lines, and pins stabbed like battle wounds.
Remo stood at the head of the table, arms folded, radiating heat and command. Christian lounged to his right, playing with a silver blade, the glint in his eyes disturbingly amused. Maddox was silent as always, looming behind them with arms crossed and a storm building beneath his stillness.
And I—stood between them. Marked. Claimed. Hunted.
"They're not hitting us randomly," Maddox said at last. "Each trap has a pattern. East border. Then the forest near the Mooncliff ravine. Then
