Zaiden POV
I knew he would circle back.
Commanders like him didn’t run because they were afraid.
They ran because they were hunting for a better place to kill you.
The eastern camp thinned as my warriors pushed the remaining rogues toward the center. Smoke drifted low, mixing with dust and the copper taste of blood. Somewhere south, Rudy’s forces thundered like a living earthquake. From the north came the sharp crashes of Xavier’s fighters breaking defenses.
But here, the air went quiet.
Too quiet.
I slowed my pace, lifting one hand to signal my warriors to hold position behind me. The broken storage tents ahead swayed slightly in the morning breeze, ropes snapping softly against charred posts.
A low chuckle echoed from behind them.
“I was wondering when you’d follow,” the rogue c
