The mountain pass narrowed to single file on the ninth day, and that was exactly when the rockslide hit, boulders crashing down from both sides in a pattern too coordinated to be natural.
"Ambush," Garrow shouted, throwing himself flat as a chunk of stone the size of a horse crashed where he'd been standing.
Wei Liang caught Wei Dong by the collar and hauled him clear of a second slide, seventh gate flaring instinctively to absorb the shockwave rippling through the ground itself. Xu's voice cut through fast.
"Not random. Someone's controlling the rock face directly. Look up."
Figures dropped from the ridgeline above, six of them, wearing the same neck marks as every attacker before, moving with the coordinated precision of trained operatives rather than desperate mercenaries.
"Her peo
