Rafel and I rode hard, the wind tearing past us, our armor clanging with every movement. Behind us, a small group of warriors followed, instructed to stay hidden until we gave the signal. My grip on my sword tightened. Lena was in danger. That was all that mattered.
When we crested the hill and caught sight of the Midwest tower under construction, everything froze in my chest.
There she stood. A tall, well-built woman in black armor, long brown hair streaked with silver and tightly weaved back. Her grey eyes gleamed with a cold, strange light. One foot forward and body coiled like a predator.
She held Lena against her side with one arm and the other hand pressing a sharp war knife to Lena’s neck. Lena’s eyes were wide, and terrified, her body trembling.
Beside them, a tall, broad-shoul
