Leah Carter’s Point of View
We didn’t speak on the way back.
The forest was still burning behind us, the flames painting the trees orange from miles away. The smell of smoke followed us like a ghost. Caleb leaned against Kael for support, blood soaking through the bandages I’d wrapped around his chest. His face was pale, his breathing shallow.
Every few steps, he winced. The burn the creature had left wasn’t ordinary, it glowed faintly through the cloth, pulsing like something alive beneath his skin.
When we finally reached our camp, Emma ran out before I could stop her. “Uncle Caleb!” she cried, her small feet splashing through the mud.
Kael caught her just in time. “Stay back,” he said gently but firmly. “He’s hurt.”
Seraya stood by the fire, eyes wide. “What happened?”
Kael laid
