The weight of leadership settled on Lena's shoulders like a physical thing. It was not merely the burden of command, the need to give orders and make decisions. It was the weight of every hope, every fear, every unspoken prayer that now lived in the hearts of the beings who followed her. She felt it in the morning when she woke, a pressure behind her ribs. She felt it in the evening, when the camp grew quiet and she was left alone with her thoughts. And she felt it now, standing at the edge of camp, watching her army prepare for battle.
Hundreds of beings moved with purpose across the clearing. Wolves from the northern packs sharpened their claws on whetstones, their fur bristling with anticipation. Vampires from distant covens checked the edges of their blades, their movements precise an
